Meanwhile, on Twitter, Chris Philp is wearing a police vest over a suit and tie.

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.

Pass me a drink. Andy’s saving jury trials. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Burnham considers reversing plan to scrap some jury trials

The prime minister says his "instinct" is to reverse plans by the last PM to limit jury trials in England and Wales.

bbc.co.uk

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?

outrageous conduct from the toddler who just waddled up to a random person and, with slight menace and intense eye contact, asked ‘do you know the muffin man?’

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-...

just confidently told someone that if you win the World Cup you get to host it and they quietly said ‘that’s Eurovision’

The heat has convinced me that they should let barristers wear shorts.

Another patient, antiphonal & contemporary BBCFreeThinking — on crime & punishment. Even the edgy silences speak @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social talks to @stephemmabrown.bsky.social , @scouttzofiya.bsky.social, @joannahs.bsky.social, Stephen Shapiro, Jonathan Sumption www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking, Crime and punishment medieval to modern

Matthew Sweet's guests include Lord Sumption and criminal barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind.

bbc.co.uk

It’s *classic* Starmer to use the dying vapours of his evaporating authority to panic-run the dismal policy of restricting jury trials. How fitting for a former lawyer: one last go, one final verdict, one more time. And how fitting if it was the verdict that finished him off.

Thanks @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social for brilliantly hosting Free Thinking - Crime and Punishment, Medieval to Modern with @stephenshapiro.bsky.social, @joannahs.bsky.social, @scouttzofiya.bsky.social, Jonathan Sumption and me. If you missed it, catch up on BBC Sounds ⬇️

Great to see @joannahs.bsky.social on #politicslive educating politicians on the reality of jury trials and the world criminal lawyers, who should be getting investment ( and medals) not token attacks on our rights ...

These are exceptionally generous words from my professional colleagues in the year I took time off to have and raise my baby. Thank you, you lovely people - I adore working with you all 🥹

URGENT UPDATE! WE NEED YOUR HELP Thanks to everyone who has entered, we've had some amazing pictures. BUT we have not received enough entries! We know social media is a mess & that you're all very busy, but we need your help. Entries are now open until *5th October*

Law Paw Calendar (Billable Hour)@lawpawcalendar.bsky.social · 11mo ago

The legal world’s favourite (/only) pet calendar is back for 2026, and looking for your entries! Email BillableHourCalendar@outlook.com by 26th September to secure your pet’s place in the calendar.

Need some summer #reading inspiration? Join writer @horatioclare.bsky.social criminal defence barrister @joannahs.bsky.social & presenter @harriettsg.bsky.social to hear about the #books that have inspired them. A Good Read 3pm Mon 21 July @BBCRadio4 or @BBCSounds www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - A Good Read, Joanna Hardy-Susskind and Horatio Clare

Writer Horatio Clare joins barrister Joanna Hardy-Susskind to discuss favourite books.

bbc.co.uk

Link to women's Tees: billablehour.teemill.com/product/man-... Link to men's Tees: billablehour.teemill.com/product/man-... But customisation is on, so you can choose your own shirt, colour. You can put the design on kid's clothing and bags. You can even buy a print of the design.

Man on the Clapham Omnibus (by @gailmyerscough) M

You can't be more reasonable than that.

billablehour.teemill.com

BIG NEWS!! The second BillableHour Summer Tee is now available with all profits going to @savechildrenUK. It is a banger from design superstar @gailmyerscough.co.uk and a must have for any lawyer (link to shop in reply). As you'd expect from a tee this reasonable, it comes in many colours. BEHOLD!!

I need all of #lawsky to see this video from a Colorado appeals court livestream yesterday. I am in actual tears. Sound *incredibly* on, the subtitles will not help.

normalise going into the softplay centre in a hazmat suit

When defendant four realises, mid-trial, that he’s toast and decides to raise the temperature a bit by dropping the cutthroat in cross-examination :

The hallmarks of Twitter are now: * replacement theory * obsession with nationalism and ‘treachery’ * obsession with perceived ‘enemies’ and ‘invaders’ * blatant racism said out loud * ‘two tier justice’ (definition varies) All of it unchecked and unchallenged. They’re grouping and gathering.

Made the mistake of going into bat on Twitter against the Jenrick and Cummings crowd - forgetting that you’d all left me there. Needless to say I’m now being called a ‘bird’ by someone called ‘Don Gargantuan’ & being told lawyers should be tried for treason by some blokes who seem to like flags.

Understanding the sentence of Lucy Connolly Had it not been for competent legal advice, her sentence could have been far harsher By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

Ok. I’ll bite. How are we supposed to reduce the backlog when the Crown Court DCS takes 8 minutes to load a single page?

The BBC are airing a lovely little omnibus of ‘You Do Not Have To Say Anything’ this weekend. Saturday at 9pm ❤️ 🎧 🎙️

honestly by the time I’ve downloaded my court entry pass, two-factored the Common Platform, wrangled with evidence dot com’s timeout and tried to load the glitchy DCS it’s time to go home again.

Meanwhile, in the other place, two hot topics have finally, inevitably, collided:

Swastikas in a children’s playground? You pathetic racists. You complete cowards.