I can’t believe ‘here’s your prison sentence, you will serve half, but your co-defendant who got a bit longer for something a bit worse will do two-thirds, but one of you can go home early on curfew and that one will now do a third and the other a half’ hasn’t worked out for us.

Re: pervert glasses. Should it occur to anyone that they might use them to film court or tribunal proceedings, don’t do that. It’s a criminal offence.

Yes I acknowledge it makes sense in context but “I need my car to meet criminals” is now my favourite basis for an attempted exceptional hardship plea. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BREAKING: Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated to the press today that he may scrap controversial plans to reduce access to jury trials.

NEW at the Empty City On the early release of prisoners The political-media addiction to lengthy sentences, and its consequences emptycity.substack.com/p/on-the-ear...

On the early release of prisoners

The political-media addiction to lengthy sentences, and its consequences

emptycity.substack.com

Every criminal defence lawyer should now be asking - as standard: * Has any piece of evidence, schedule, digital search, summary, or unused assessment been conducted by AI? * Has any witness used AI in the formulation of their statement, exhibits or in preparation of giving oral evidence at trial?

I regret to inform you that we have reached the “Broadmoor is a holiday camp” stage of right-wing discourse.

NEW at The Empty City No, the Justice Secretary does not need to be a lawyer Why it is far more important to have an effective politician as Lord Chancellor, rather than somebody who happens to be legally qualified emptycity.substack.com/p/no-the-jus...

I’m sorry who

Can anybody offer any reassurances re our new Justice Secretary? While the lowest of bars, I would really like somebody less dangerously incompetent than David Lammy, if at all possible.

This remains one of the most surreal, but lovely, moments of my entire life. RIP to a brilliant man youtu.be/Ud7Uti74yvo?...

Kevin Keegan reads @GalacticKeegan

YouTube video by Galactic Keegan

youtu.be

This is very disappointing. Such an important and undervalued brief which was for years held by a succession of uninterested itinerants. A prisons minister who genuinely cared and who was starting to see results.

Cassia Rowland@cassiarowland.bsky.social · 2w ago

The day’s first casualty: James Timpson resigns as prisons minister. This is a big surprise! Timpson had a long history as a prisons reformer before entering government and seen as one of Starmer’s more innovative & exciting appointments. He’s also delivered a big change programme in gov. So: why?

A tacky, neverending festival of self-congratulation and rampant commercialism, which has only served to detract from the football. That’s right - mea culpa for the daily World Cup reminders that the ebook of #TheCutThroatTrial is only 99p. We are all now freed. www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Throat-T...

A tacky, neverending festival of self-congratulation and rampant commercialism, which has only served to detract from the football. That’s right - mea culpa for the daily World Cup reminders that the ebook of #TheCutThroatTrial is only 99p. We are all now freed. www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Throat-T...

Beayoutiful

DISALLOW THAT ONE GIANNI!

Inject that Enzo Fernandez red card directly into my veins

Gabby: What was your highlight of the half time show? Wayne Rooney: When it finished. I thought it was crap. 10/10 punditry. No notes.

Now beginning to understand why they banned fans from bringing bottles with them.

Bring back the muppets

While in the name of football, we all want the obvious team to win, there would also be something entirely fitting about this World Cup - defined by shameless corruption, pervasive greed, institutional cowardice and flagrant racism - being won by a team of outright cheats.

Love how it's just been gradually forgotten that there were two other countries co-hosting this World Cup.

It’s just all so disgustingly tacky and utterly soulless.

Waking this morning to a national consensus. End-to-end drama throughout. Twist after twist. Impossible to avert one’s eyes. Not wanting it to end. Just so gratified that you all seem to have spent last night reading the ebook of #TheCutThroatTrial for only 99p 🙏 www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Throat-T...

Waking this morning to a national consensus. End-to-end drama throughout. Twist after twist. Impossible to avert one’s eyes. Not wanting it to end. Just so gratified that you all seem to have spent last night reading the ebook of #TheCutThroatTrial for only 99p 🙏 www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Throat-T...

Can I just shock you? I like third-place play-offs. Despite what I just said earlier.

Tonight’s third-place playoff between England and France is a dead rubber. Not a nail-biter. Talking of death and nail-biters, it seems only proper to remind you that the ebook of the gritty legal thriller #TheCutThroatTrial is only 99p! What a time to be alive! www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Throat-T...

This is utterly embarrassing for the AG, who deserves criticism for the appalling misinformation that was allowed to gather steam. However the LCJ is, IMO, too lenient on the failure of the Judicial Office to immediately publish the sentencing remarks, creating a void which the grifters filled.

Joanna Hardy-Susskind@joannahs.bsky.social · 3w ago

This is the most extraordinary judgment I’ve read all year. If there was not about to be a reshuffle - I suspect it might have been a resigning matter for the Attorney General. www.judiciary.uk/judgments/r-...

If I were Prime Minister, I would simply withhold all salary and all bonuses from the CEO of Avanti until they sorted out functioning Wi-Fi on their abominable trains. I’d have the legislation ready to go on my first day.

Getting knocked out of the World Cup is going to leave a void. But you know what can fill it? And for only 99p? Why, the ebook of the gritty legal thriller #TheCutThroatTrial! There’s no better way to show your support for our English heroes.* *i.e. me www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Throat-T...