Geoff Pearson
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profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson
@profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
1.3K followers 350 following 230 posts

Prof of Law and Co-Director of Research at Manchester University's Law Dept. Socio-legal research interests in human rights, policing, public order, crowd management, football "hooliganism", Ethnography, and sports law.

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Political science 47%
Sociology 29%
Posts Replies Media Videos

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 13h
They are the worst in Europe. And show absolutely no interest in improving.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

fanseurope.org
Football Supporters Europe @fanseurope.org · 14h
“The way the French police football games is completely outdated… it doesn’t meet any of the modern standards of de-escalation.”

FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain on the dangerous treatment of fans by French authorities & the failure to learn lessons from the 2022 UCL final.

📰 nyti.ms/4quGGuK
French police, football fans, and a history of violence: 'They don’t care'
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Geoff Pearson

pt007.bsky.social
Vanessa Enriquez-Rios @pt007.bsky.social · 1d
@garymarcus.bsky.social: Two Boston University law professors, Woodrow Hartzog and Jessica Silbey, just posted preprint of a new paper that blew me away, called How AI Destroys Institutions. I urge you to read—and reflect—on it, ASAP.

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
How AI Destroys Institutions
Civic institutions—the rule of law, universities, and a free press—are the backbone of democratic life. They are the mechanisms through which complex societies
papers.ssrn.com

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 1d
This would be great news, if MS co-pilot didn't have a tendency to just make stuff up. In my field of research I estimate it provides inaccurate information at least 50% of the time. www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/w...
World-first AI partnership between The University of Manchester and Microsoft announced
The University of Manchester becomes first university in the world to provide Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training to all students and staff.65,000 staff and students will receive full Microsoft ...
www.manchester.ac.uk

Reposted by David S. Cohen, R. M. Wilson, James Goodwin , and 3 more

normcharlatan.bsky.social
Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 1d
Honestly boycotting the World Cup would be the most effective and probably the least disruptive of all of the options available to Europe. I’m not sure how you can send teams and fans to contribute to a spectacle designed entirely to celebrate a guy trying to invade your territory.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 2d
Two key takeaways from tonight's Afcon final. (1) VAR makes everything worse. (2) You should always go to extra time before penalties. Yes, mostly it's a damp squib, but when it isn't, there's nothing like it. The "let's go straight to penalties" crowd can all get in the bin.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 2d
I feel a bit sorry for the ref. Poor call for the disallowed goal, but made it well before it went in. Didn't call the pen. It's bloody VAR again trying to ruin things.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

lewisgrahamlaw.bsky.social
Lewis Graham @lewisgrahamlaw.bsky.social · 4d
I’m quoted briefly in this FT piece discussing Lord Reed’s time on the Supreme Court

www.ft.com/content/2272...
UK’s Supreme Court president to retire from role next year
Lord Robert Reed to step down after tenure marked by greater degree of judicial conservatism
www.ft.com

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

dannyshaw.bsky.social
Danny Shaw @dannyshaw.bsky.social · 4d
BREAKING. Craig Guildford is to retire from policing. A statement is expected soon. He is the first chief constable to quit after pressure from the Home Secretary since 2005, when Humberside's chief David Westwood departed after David Blunkett called on him to be fired after the Bichard Report

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 4d
Dear Donald Trump. In recognition of your unique commitment to fascists and other psychopathic fruit-loops,I would like to present you with my 2004-05 Frumba FC Psycho of the Season Award. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Geoff Pearson, Ann Bartow

levparikian.bsky.social
Lev Parikian @levparikian.bsky.social · 4d
SCAM ALERT – IMPORTANT

The cat has already been fed.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 5d
The University of Manchester looking suitably gothic this evening.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

happytoast.co.uk
HappyToast @happytoast.co.uk · 5d
NASA say that the crew member who was ill and returned to earth is doing well and now having a meal with colleagues.
John Hurt enjoying a meal in the film Alien

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 6d
The very last thing any police force needs is the Home Secretary holding a Sword of Damocles over its Chef's head. I can't think of a better way of ensuring undue political interference in policing and also undermining evidence-based decision making.
pippacrerar.bsky.social Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar.bsky.social · 6d
Home secretaries will be given new powers to sack chief constables who fail their communities, reinstating a power removed by the Tories in 2011 when Theresa May was in the role.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

pippacrerar.bsky.social
Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar.bsky.social · 6d
Home secretaries will be given new powers to sack chief constables who fail their communities, reinstating a power removed by the Tories in 2011 when Theresa May was in the role.

Reposted by Axel Bruns, Scott L. Greer, Max Nathan , and 5 more

jsinclair.bsky.social
Jason Sinclair @jsinclair.bsky.social · 6d
Politicians: don't use AI to make your maps.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Lilian Edwards, Robert Wolfe , and 1 more

alexpartridge87.bsky.social
Alex Partridge @alexpartridge87.bsky.social · 6d
WM Police chief Craig Guildford has apologised for identifying a fictitious West Ham v Maccabi Tel Aviv match in a police report. He’s written to the home affairs committee and blames Microsoft CoPilot for the error

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 8d
It's been an established legal term in England and Wales since at least the 1950s (eg the Homicide Act). The line between an unlawful killing that is murder, and that which is constructive manslaughter or voluntary manslaughter (eg killing as a result of loss of control) can be a very fine one.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

netpol.org
Netpol @netpol.org · 8d
More than 40 civil society groups (including Netpol) have joined forces to resist yet another proposed expansion by the government of police powers in England and Wales www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Civil society groups condemn ‘dangerous’ plans for more anti-protest powers
Dozens including TUC join force to oppose ‘wide-ranging’ move to increase police powers in England and Wales
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Geoff Pearson, José Pina-Sánchez

davidbuil.bsky.social
David Buil-Gil @davidbuil.bsky.social · 9d
Paper out with @jpinasanchez.bsky.social & @marcelo-f-aebi.bsky.social in @socialindicators.bsky.social 🔔
How often do we compare crime recorded across countries? We show that crime counting rules vary widely across countries and this strongly affects cross-country comparisons

Reposted by Jonathan Wolff, Mark Robinson, Geoff Pearson

strictlychristo.bsky.social
StrictlyChristo 🇺🇦🌻🚫👑 @strictlychristo.bsky.social · 11d
British police have killed fewer people in the last 100 years than American police kill in an average month.

Policing in America is an ongoing tragedy.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 12d
Famously, if someone is driving their car at you, shooting the driver dead brings it to an immediate halt.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12d
JD Vance: "Ramming an ICE officer with your car -- that's what justifies being shot ... the reason this woman is dead is because she tried to ram somebody with her car and that guy acted in self defense"

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12d
JD Vance: "Ramming an ICE officer with your car -- that's what justifies being shot ... the reason this woman is dead is because she tried to ram somebody with her car and that guy acted in self defense"

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 12d
Have you been complaining to Points of View again?

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 12d
The relationship between the police and the traditional press has often been problematic in the UK. There are lots of lesser examples of journalists getting exclusive content in return for toeing a particular law enforcement line.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 14d
The Home Affairs Committee grilling of WMP/AVFC SAG today has been interesting viewing. Everything so far supports our research findings: football intel is of varying quality, POPS commanders tend to be risk averse, and human rights-based approaches lead to better & more transparent decision making.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 15d
It was only starting to grow in the manner of the new shoots on the felled sycamore gap tree.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 21d
Ignore the noise from the armchairs and just watch your team is always my suggestion.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 21d
Traditional protections and civil liberties are dangerously exposed to populist policies like never before. Under a Reform or Reform/Tory Government, I fear that anyone expecting equality before the law or habeas corpus to ride in to save them from executive sanction will be in for a nasty surprise.

profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson @profgeoffpearson.bsky.social · 21d
But that was the purpose of the HRA - 'bringing rights home'. I don't think anyone is under the illusion that should the HRA be scrapped, but ECHR ratification remain, Convention rights and freedoms would become increasingly meaningless (in contrast to pre-2000 when Govts were largely responsive).