Our small contributions - w/ @chrischirp.bsky.social The vulnerability of arm length bodies www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n... unchecked.uk/public_body_...

Public Body Vulnerabilities

unchecked.uk

And here is Peter Hennessy’s valedictory speech, from the King’s Speech debate this spring: View the Hansard contribution by Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield (CB) (Valedictory Speech) on Monday 18 May 2026 hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2026-0...

Some thoughts of my own, published with amendments in Public Law for October 2024, are here: www.daqc.co.uk/2023/12/01/w...

Writing a Constitution - David Anderson QC Lawyer London UK

I gave a lecture last night to the Statute Law Society on the subject of Writing a Constitution. Our constitution is sick (though its condition is chronic rather than acute); a written constitution is...

daqc.co.uk

Fortunately, both @conunitucl.bsky.social and @davidallengreen.bsky.social are already on the case … bsky.app/profile/conu...

UCL Constitution Unit@conunitucl.bsky.social · 2w ago

'[T]his contribution is to be welcomed and the paper should be widely read... Our constitutional arrangements are vulnerable and it is complacent to think otherwise.' @davidallengreen.bsky.social discusses our new report in @prospectmagazine.co.uk. Read it 👇️

The House of Lords Constitution Committee is starting a wide-ranging inquiry into strengthening our constitutional safeguards - as proposed by (Lord) Peter Hennessy. Look East, look West, and see the urgency. Written evidence requested by 28th of September. committees.parliament.uk/committee/17...

The UK’s constitutional safeguards inquiry launched by Lords Constitution Committee - Committees - UK Parliament

The House of Lords Constitution Committee has today published a call for evidence for its inquiry into the UK’s constitutional safeguards. It is inviting interested individuals and organisations...

committees.parliament.uk

My speech in yesterday’s debate in the Lords on the rule of law hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2026-0...

NEW REPORT Criminal justice is coming apart at the seams. Police, criminal courts & prisons can’t cope with the level of demand and performance keeps spiralling downwards. Early positive steps from the government won't be enough to turn things around www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Performance Tracker 2025: Criminal justice system | Institute for Government

The government must act to avoid the justice system returning to the crisis point seen when Labour entered office, or worse.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Giving this talk tmr!

Ben Yong@bymyong.bsky.social · 10mo ago

I‘m giving a public talk at UCL on Thurs 16 Oct. The title is “Bureaucracy and distrust: the civil service in the constitution” looking at the civil service’s constitutional foundations, and how it might respond to a populist govt. @sirJJkc.bsky.social will chair! www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events/...

International agreements: what is parliament's role and why does this matter? @lisajames.bsky.social and @arabellalaw.bsky.social explain parliament's role in scrutinising international agreements and how it could be strengthened. Read it 👇

International agreements: what is parliament's role and why does this matter?

Constitution Unit by Lisa James and Arabella Lang, second edition, published October 2025.

ucl.ac.uk

‘The​ current members of the Supreme Court, ten men and two women, all of them white, seem to regard the Human Rights Act as an unwelcome remnant of a past era.’ In his final piece for the LRB, Conor Gearty writes on the Supreme Court’s reinterpretation of the HRA: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Conor Gearty · Unwelcome Remnant: Erasing the Human Rights Act

The Supreme Court is quietly editing the Human Rights Act out of existence. In cases where human rights cannot be...

lrb.co.uk

Support for staying in the ECHR has been rising (probably a Farage effect of solidifying the majority who oppose him, maybe Trump osmosis effect). Media and political opinion on the right believes there is a strong public desire to quit. Badenoch has now committed the Conservatives to quitting.

Really enjoyed today’s discussion, expertly hosted by @lisajames.bsky.social Features treaty scrutiny as a mainstream constitutional topic, an excellent new report from the Lords international Agreements Committee, and the scrutiny challenges cubed that devolved legislatures face.

UCL Constitution Unit@conunitucl.bsky.social · 11mo ago

How should the UK's parliaments scrutinise international agreements? Earlier today we hosted Lord (Peter) Goldsmith, @arabellalaw.bsky.social and @clareadamsonmsp.bsky.social to discuss just this. A recording is now available on YouTube and should be in our podcast feed very soon. Watch it 👇

What role should parliament have in scrutinising international agreements with countries like Mauritius, the US and India? On 24 Sept, join @arabellalaw.bsky.social, @clareadamsonmsp.bsky.social and Lord (Peter) Goldsmith to discuss just this at our free, online event. Sign up 👉 buff.ly/T2ZL4WO

What role should parliament have in scrutinising international agreements with countries like Mauritius, the US and India? On 24 Sept, join @arabellalaw.bsky.social, @clareadamsonmsp.bsky.social and Lord (Peter) Goldsmith to discuss just this at our free, online event. Sign up 👉 buff.ly/T2ZL4WO

Excellent news for roundhead colleagues. If you're lucky enough to work for a minister who'd like to exercise a delegated power or two before a certain date, but you're never sure how long an instrument has to sit before Parliament, our beloved egg timer (TM) now comes with a start date calculator.

*PSA OPPORTUNITY* House of Commons internship opportunity. This is exclusively for #EarlyCareer Network members of the PSA who are currently studying towards their #PhD. 📆 Apply by 28 September 2025 ➡️ Full details buff.ly/xY1xXxn #PoliticalStudies #Politics #PhDStudents #HouseofCommons

2025 House of Commons Internship | The Political Studies Association (PSA)

Become a member Log in

buff.ly

Letters from Yvette Cooper committees.parliament.uk/publications/49082/documents/258601/default/ and Angela Eagle committees.parliament.uk/publications/49083/documents/258602/default/ to HASC about why neither the treaty nor immigration rules have been subject to the normal parliamentary timetables

The UK government's rationale for applying the UK/France migration treaty before a parliamentary vote - via @cjmckinney.bsky.social

Noting a few oddities in respect of the U.K./France migration treaty published on 5 August and already operationalised today. (Short 🧵) www.gov.uk/government/p...

UK/France: Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys [CS France No.2/2025]

This treaty was presented to Parliament in August 2025.

gov.uk

The Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbi...

Durham Law is hiring a 3yr career development fellow in public law! Some lovely ppl here: @jessieblackbourn.bsky.social @lizaoloughlin.bsky.social @seshauna.bsky.social @rogermasterman.bsky.social @dkagiaros.bsky.social @nataliesedacca.bsky.social ... and @aileenmcharg.bsky.social rb.gy/ybcbpf

Career Development Fellow in Public Law at Durham University

An opportunity for an academic position as a Career Development Fellow in Public Law is available, as advertised on jobs.ac.uk. Apply now and explore other academic job openings.

jobs.ac.uk

Do you have an idea for an innovative research project with a focus on inclusive #tradepolicy? Applications are open for our Innovation Fund, offering grants between £10k-£40k fEC. We’re particularly keen to receive applications from or involving Early Career Researchers citp.ac.uk/innovation-f...

Fascinating resource and analysis here on training journalists about migration. It would be great to explore (as the authors of the article suggest) how this model could be transferred to other contentious policy areas.

Migration Observatory@migobs.bsky.social · last yr.

Nice new publication by our deputy director Rob McNeil and the brilliant @drdonnasmith.bsky.social looking at the importance of specialist training for journalists on contentious policy issues like migration - it leans heavily on the free training programme we developed for @nctj.bsky.social

📢 Following the #AssistedDying Bill in the House of Commons today? 🧐 Confused about what happens at Report Stage? Our short briefing explains it all — from how amendments are selected and grouped, to how debates are organised and decisions made.

Assisted dying bill: what will happen on Friday 13 June?

On Friday 13 June, the House of Commons will once again debate the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Specifically, it will hold a…

buff.ly

😳😳 www.ft.com/content/4a93...

Pentagon launches review to decide if US should scrap Aukus

​Ending nuclear submarine deal would be blow to security alliance with Australia and UK

ft.com

For the past couple of months I have been arguing in favour of a new Treaties Ratification (Parliamentary Consent) Bill with @hhesterm.bsky.social I hope that parliamentarians might pick up this suggestion in the next parliamentary session if Ministers refuse to take action.

Great to see that the ⁦‪ @hansardsociety.bsky.social has joined calls for the introduction of a parliamentary consent vote for the most significant new treaties. Surely the time has come for the Government to admit that the current system is unsustainable. www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications...

Parliamentary scrutiny of treaties - Our evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee

Our evidence on treaty scrutiny has been published by the House of Lords International Agreements Committee. Our submission outlines the problems with the existing framework for treaty scrutiny and wh...

hansardsociety.org.uk

JUSTICE is hiring a new Communications Officer 📢 We're looking for an organised and motivated new addition to our team to help tell powerful stories, drive policy change, and engage our community. If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you! Apply by Sun 22 June 2025.

Here are all the parliamentary things to know about the Chagos Islands treaty. The objection period ends on 3 July: treaties.parliament.uk/treaty/Qnu21...

Timeline - Treaty CP 1334 - Treaties - UK Parliament

Timeline for Agreement, done at London and Port Louis on 22 May 2025, between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius...

treaties.parliament.uk

*and involving very large public expenditure

Arabella Lang@arabellalaw.bsky.social · last yr.

Imagine a new UK treaty with major domestic and international implications were being signed today. Would you want your MP to have a say? Here’s what I said recently about why that would be appropriate, necessary and constitutionally desirable: committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence...