For the first time ever in our country's history, a barrister is facing contempt proceedings over the content of their closing speech. It is seriously concerning and entirely disproportionate. Rajiv Menon KC is facing up to two years in prison for the way he defended his client.
A barrister represents his clients in court. Clients who are political dissidents. He now faces criminal prosecution for doing so. Not Turkey. Not Egypt. Not Russia. England. Astonishing, deeply disturbing, and part of a long slide towards authoritarianism. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Palestine Action barrister’s prosecution criticised as ‘chilling’
CBA chair says contempt charge over closing speech by Rajiv Menon KC has left lawyers fearful of doing their job
theguardian.com
This is distinctly dangerous. Labour is officially stating that human rights are dependant upon which group you belong to, and I am not ignoring how they already do that for trans individuals. This absolutely undermines the very principle of human rights. That is one dangerous precedent to set. 4/
The ECHR acts as a vital safety net and chipping away at the protection it offers jeopardises the legal framework that protects us all. Any potential incoming Prime Minister needs to think carefully about whether this is the foundation that they want to build on in Government.
Article 8 (the right to a family life) is something that we all deserve – but also a right that is widely misunderstood. Restricting a judge's ability to consider the needs of a child won’t protect vulnerable children and will weaken human rights frameworks that protect us all.
The proposed Immigration and Asylum Bill will change how our courts apply the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in deportation and immigration cases. This is concerning & could open the door to weakening human rights protections in the years to come. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Most asylum seekers rejected under tightened laws will remain in UK
Critics call proposed limits on asylum claims a ‘quick fix that will create long-term chaos’
theguardian.com
Council of Europe draft Guidelines to improve media coverage of LGBTIQ issues in Europe. In order to inform and complement the research around these Guidelines, we kindly ask you to fill in a short (15 min.) survey: forms.office.com/e/jJur97KhGF .
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
It annoys me so so much when news articles report findings based on a published scientific paper (often open access these days) and don't include a link or reference to said paper.
Irish government not cooperating on several legacy cases, committee hears [ From BBC News NI ]
Irish government not cooperating on several legacy cases, committee hears
BBC News - Northern Ireland
bbc.com
Melanie Field, independent adviser on human rights on the problems with the EHRC “guidance” and what the EHRC commissioners need the do to put it right. LinkedIn article.
Has the Equality and Human Rights Commission done its job?
The EHRC’s draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations Last November, I wrote on Linked In about my concerns that the EHRC’s draft Code of Practice submitted to government o...
linkedin.com
Both the government and the Court of Appeal now treat protesters as terrorists and terrorists as protesters. It's hard to accept that a "Labour" government is imposing rightwing authoritarianism on the UK, but please read this column to see what's happening.+🧵 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Belfast riots, Palestine Action protests. What is terrorism now – and why the hypocrisy? | George Monbiot
The right is obsessed with ‘two-tier policing’. This is indeed a two-tier government – but the real victims are progressives, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
theguardian.com
Ah yes, if only we knew the special stuff that only the government knows, we would agree with everything it does. Says every authoritarian state, everywhere.
Sally Luxmoore@sallyl.bsky.social · 2mo agoGeorge - you of all people should be able to appreciate that we do not know all the facts. You know that part of the evidence was given in secret by the security services. Everyone seems to agree that the public part was not enough for proscription, so it must have been the secret part that was!
The Court of Appeal's judgment upholding the ban on Palestine Action is at judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
judiciary.uk
Love the Q's but disappointed their only inclusion of trans men is "cis women will be confronted by the presence of trans men in their spaces." 1. It isn't true. Trans men are being barred from both spaces. 2. Trans men are ALSO at risk of violence/SA when ppl realise we're trans (links in comments)
Quakers in Britain@quaker.org.uk · 2mo agoQuakers in Britain has released the following statement on the EHRC's draft code of practice around the UK Supreme Court's ruling on the meaning of sex in the Equality Act . 👇🕯️❤️ https://www.quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/quaker-response-to-draft-guidance-around-definition-of-sex
Here it is: open.substack.com/pub/thoughts...
No, the UK government should not be following Trump's lead on refugees
Yesterday someone sent me this article and asked me to write a rebuttal, saying that this is “the sort of nonsense we ignore from random commentators but that is highly problematic from someone in his...
open.substack.com
The houses of ethnic minorities in Belfast didn’t ’go on fire’ last night - as my radio has told me - they were set alight
If Muslims or members of the Asian and Black community had set fire to white people’s homes with children running for their lives, do you think we would be discussing legitimate concerns or focussing on who radicalised them and ideological and contributing cultural factors?
The Public Sector Equality Duty is a vital part of the Equality Act. It compels public bodies to respect our rights and enables us to seek justice when they get things wrong. Those calling to scrap it are not being honest with the public about what they stand to lose. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Kemi Badenoch calls for scrapping of legal equality duty
The Conservative leader says the rules have led to public bodies becoming "institutionally incompetent".
bbc.co.uk
Badenoch is not only confused, but profoundly ignorant. The Equality Act *does* have provisions on class - section 1 of the Act! www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/1... However govts - including the govt she was literally the *equalities minister* in!!! - have not applied this provision in England.
legislation.gov.uk
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2mo agoBadenoch: "As it happens, the Equality Act does not protect class, so you would not be able to use it to for white working-class boys" Interviewer: "Labour [the govt] want to extend it so that it does cover class: Badenoch: "This is just going to complicate things further"
I'm sorry, but this level of stupidity is off the charts. Badenoch could have brought the socio-economic inequalities duty in the Act into force *when she was literally the equalities minister*. How do people like this get dressed in the morning? How do they remember to drink coffee, not bleach?
Steve Peers@stevepeers.bsky.social · 2mo agoBadenoch is not only confused, but profoundly ignorant. The Equality Act *does* have provisions on class - section 1 of the Act! www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/1... However govts - including the govt she was literally the *equalities minister* in!!! - have not applied this provision in England.
Badenoch: "As it happens, the Equality Act does not protect class, so you would not be able to use it to for white working-class boys" Interviewer: "Labour [the govt] want to extend it so that it does cover class: Badenoch: "This is just going to complicate things further"
Chișinău Declaration risks weakening protections for migrants, undermines absolute prohibition of torture: UN experts www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...
Chișinău Declaration risks weakening protections for migrants, undermines absolute prohibition of torture: UN experts
GENEVA - UN experts* today expressed deep concern regarding the recently adopted Chișinău Declaration by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe introducing policy directions on migration ...
ohchr.org
“In effort to fend off Reform” As a reason for public policy, this has to be the absolute worst. How much damage will politicians do to compete with Farage? Brexit, immigration, scrapping NetZero..the ECHR..the Equality Act… Stupid reasons to do stupid things. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Badenoch to vow to scrap public sector equality duty in effort to fend off Reform
In speech on Tuesday, Tory leader will claim obligation to consider equality being used to advance ‘divisive agendas’
theguardian.com
If you’ve not seen, Badenoch is proposing to scrap the public sector equality duty. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Badenoch to vow to scrap public sector equality duty in effort to fend off Reform
In speech on Tuesday, Tory leader will claim obligation to consider equality being used to advance ‘divisive agendas’
theguardian.com
Kemi Badenoch on R4 is discussing the public sector equality duty almost entirely on the basis of race. But that’s just one of the elements it covers - also gender, disability, age etc etc. These seem to be getting forgotten.
If white working class boys are discriminated against and being white is any material part of the reason for it, the Equality Act will be engaged.
