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John Cotter

@drjohncotter.bsky.social

2K followers 1.4K following 1K posts

Senior Lecturer in Law at Keele University, England. Research in EU constitutional law, especially defence of democracy, and impeachment. Irishman living in Cheshire. Views are my own.

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John Lambert Cotter was an American archaeologist whose career spanned more than sixty years and included archaeological work with the Works Progress Administration, numerous posts with the National Park Service, and contributions to the development of historical archaeology in the United States. .. more

Political science 29%

Materials science 18%

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · Sep 8

Last mention of my most recent article on how - as a last resort - EU law can be (re-)-interpreted to protect the democratic legitimacy of its legislature in the face of Member State autocratisation.

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · Aug 28

My latest article ‘Democracy Manifest? Ensuring the EU Legislature’s Democratic Legitimacy
in the Face of National-Level Autocratisation’ has just been published online and open access in European Papers: www.europeanpapers.eu/en/system/fi...

www.europeanpapers.eu

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 12h

I would’ve thought that a blue team that keeps chopping and changing its managers and yet winning inexplicably (often with mediocre players) would be a model for the Conservatives.

Oliver Bullough @oliverbullough.bsky.social · 13h

Looking like Chelsea FC? So, previously owned by a Russian oligarch, but now in hock to American hedge funds?

Reposted by John L. Cotter

Oliver Bullough @oliverbullough.bsky.social · 13h

Looking like Chelsea FC? So, previously owned by a Russian oligarch, but now in hock to American hedge funds?

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 17h

I have also written an article on impeachment in the EU context to be published in this year’s CYELS, available open access here: www.cambridge.org/core/service...

www.cambridge.org

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 17h

Final paywalled version can be found here: kluwerlawonline.com/journalartic...

The president of the European Commission and the power to request a Commissioner’s resignation - Common Market Law Review

View The president of the European Commission and the power to request a Commissioner’s resignation by - Common Market Law Review

kluwerlawonline.com

Reposted by Tobias Lock

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 17h

Anyone interested in the power of the Commission President to compel the resignation of a Commissioner can read my and @grahambutler.bsky.social’s article published in the CMLRev in 2024. A pre-publication version can be accessed here: keele-repository.worktribe.com/OutputFile/7...

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 18h

He has a referee for next year’s application though, I suppose.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 18h

I wonder if he had got this endorsement from world-renowned peace expert Vladimir Putin before the voting whether it might have swayed the Nobel Committee. I guess we’ll never know.

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 20h

“Thank you to President Putin!”

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 18h

Anyone taking bets on Putin re-establishing the Lenin Prize to award it to Trump?

Reposted by Steve Peers, John L. Cotter

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 20h

“Thank you to President Putin!”

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Reposted by Steve Peers

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 1d

I wonder whether Trump is currently being briefed on whether the Nobel Committee uses Dominion Voting Systems.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 1d

So, not Donald Trump then.

Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

'When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as it announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

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Reuters @reuters.com · 1d

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 1d

Obama never won it.

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 1d

They could just give him a Happy Meal toy dipped in gold and call it the First Annual Donald J Trump Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Great Peacing. Problem solved. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Norway braces for Trump’s reaction if he does not win Nobel peace prize

US president may impose tariffs, demand higher Nato contributions or even declare Norway an enemy, analyst says

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Tim Bale, Mark Elliott, John L. Cotter , and 1 more Tim Bale, Mark Elliott, John L. Cotter, Roger Masterman

UK Constitutional Law Association @ukcla.bsky.social · 2d

Alan Greene: Bringing facts to a vibes fight: Kayfabe and debates on the UK and the ECHR ukconstitutionallaw.org/2025/10/09/a...

Alan Greene: Bringing facts to a vibes fight: Kayfabe and debates on the UK and the ECHR

It is now 25 years since the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) entered into force and far from this endurance cementing its legitimacy, the judicial protection of human rights in the UK finds itself in t…

ukconstitutionallaw.org

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 2d

Forgot about it; rarely venture in that direction.

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 2d

There were very few responses that Trump could have made here that would have been stupider than the question and yet he pulled one out of the bag like a champ.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 2d

Near where I grew up in Ireland, there is a village called Kilbehenny (locals pronounce it Kill-benny). Where I live now, there’s a village nearby called Wybunbury, but pronounced something like Win-b’ry.

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 2d

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 2d

“A lot of people say Lincoln was the greatest. Honest Abe they call him. Did you know that? A lot of people don’t know that. He suspended habeas corpus, which was very weak. Failing Abe, very sad. We’re gonna do much better. We’re gonna fire habeas corpus, a dangerous, radical leftist.”

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Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 9 more Lisa W. Fazio, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Steve Peers, David Rothschild, John L. Cotter, David R. Miller, Scott A. Imberman, Steffen Ganghof, Tom Louwerse, Gerry Hassan, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Q: Have you given any more thought to possibly suspending habeas corpus?

TRUMP: Suspending who?

Q: Habeas corpus

TRUMP: I don't know. I'd rather leave that to Kristi.

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Tim Bale, Gernot Wagner , and 9 more Anna O. Law, Tim Bale, Gernot Wagner, David S. Cohen, John L. Cotter, Alan Richardson, David R. Miller, Julia Lynch, James Goodwin, Brian Keegan, Nathan Richardson, David Darmofal

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 2d

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

And listen, I don’t mean to have a particular go at Britain here: all countries have their comforting myths, Ireland too.

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

Again, not what I was saying. However, even today *imperialist* thinking about Ireland sometimes rears its head. Which is why Brexit was an upsetting and alienating process for many Irish people, when Ireland’s position, preferences and statehood were often treated with derision in Britain.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

We could probably go back and forth on this all evening. Sure, there may not be conscious imperial nostalgia. But there are leftovers in thinking. We are still living in the post-WW2 era as far as I’m concerned and the post-imperial era. Britain, in my mind, hasn’t worked through its loss of empire.

John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

What I am trying say awkwardly is that Britain has always been a strange mix of liberalism in some contexts and reactionary conservatism in others, sometimes in conflict and sometimes in coexistence. In a way, the hard right Reform/current Tory party are bringing imperialist thinking home.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

What we are seeing rise in England primarily right now is not new. And the experience of Britain in colonies (including Ireland) does not fit with this idea of liberal Britain. Your description exists of course, but it exists against this contradictory tradition also.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

That was not my intention. I cannot say what most Tories think or thought about WW2 or the primary motivation for fighting it. I do, however, more generally get a sense that the victories in both wars are framed by many people as primarily victories over the Germans, rather than over an ideology.

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

That is certainly one version. But there is also a strong reactionary Tory tradition, as well as one which defines itself in terms of fighting and defeating Germans (the political persuasion of the opposition being a matter of happenstance).

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John Cotter @drjohncotter.bsky.social · 3d

For a moment I thought he was talking about something they’d found in the White House water supply which would’ve explained a lot.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

Trump: "We call them the water drugs. The drugs that come in through water. They're not coming. There are no boats anymore. Frankly, there are no fishing boats. There are no boats out there period, if you want to know the truth. Does anybody go fishing anymore?"

Reposted by Ken Caldeira, John L. Cotter, David Darmofal

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

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