David Mead
@seethingmead.bsky.social
Professor of UK Human Rights Law, UEA: public order/protest/policing/free speech/human rights
Poor but inveterate punster.Converse collector. Law, politics, Derby County, & music
Man of Sussex in exile…still fighting the forced East/West partition of ‘72
Poor but inveterate punster.Converse collector. Law, politics, Derby County, & music
Man of Sussex in exile…still fighting the forced East/West partition of ‘72
Reposted by David Mead
Six Palestine Action activists will face a retrial on criminal damage charges over a break-in at the UK base of an Israel-based weapons manufacturer, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced
Six Palestine Action activists to face retrial over Elbit systems break-in
www.thenational.scot
February 18, 2026 at 11:24 AM
Six Palestine Action activists will face a retrial on criminal damage charges over a break-in at the UK base of an Israel-based weapons manufacturer, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced
A plea to #criminallaw #criminalization academic colleagues
I’m looking for something short &sweet to read and cite about duplication and specificity in drafting offences - in context of various overlapping offences now in relation to obstructing free passage on roads
Ideas?
I’m looking for something short &sweet to read and cite about duplication and specificity in drafting offences - in context of various overlapping offences now in relation to obstructing free passage on roads
Ideas?
February 18, 2026 at 11:14 AM
A plea to #criminallaw #criminalization academic colleagues
I’m looking for something short &sweet to read and cite about duplication and specificity in drafting offences - in context of various overlapping offences now in relation to obstructing free passage on roads
Ideas?
I’m looking for something short &sweet to read and cite about duplication and specificity in drafting offences - in context of various overlapping offences now in relation to obstructing free passage on roads
Ideas?
Reposted by David Mead
My piece for Verfassungsblog on the High Court judgment regarding the proscription of Palestine Action.
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
Soft Law in Hard Times
verfassungsblog.de
February 17, 2026 at 7:40 PM
My piece for Verfassungsblog on the High Court judgment regarding the proscription of Palestine Action.
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
Reposted by David Mead
The English High Court has overturned the ban on Palestine Action.
ALAN GREENE on the dangers of expansive executive discretion – and why the Court signals that counter-terrorism powers require genuine legal constraints, not mere trust in the “good chaps.”
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
ALAN GREENE on the dangers of expansive executive discretion – and why the Court signals that counter-terrorism powers require genuine legal constraints, not mere trust in the “good chaps.”
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
February 17, 2026 at 6:45 PM
The English High Court has overturned the ban on Palestine Action.
ALAN GREENE on the dangers of expansive executive discretion – and why the Court signals that counter-terrorism powers require genuine legal constraints, not mere trust in the “good chaps.”
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
ALAN GREENE on the dangers of expansive executive discretion – and why the Court signals that counter-terrorism powers require genuine legal constraints, not mere trust in the “good chaps.”
verfassungsblog.de/palestine-ac...
Reposted by David Mead
Latest Home Office data shows that in 2024-25, there were 162 restrictions imposed on processions and assemblies.
100% of restrictions on marches across England & Wales - all of them - were by the Metropolitan Police, mostly on Palestine solidarity demonstrations netpol.org/2026/02/12/l...
100% of restrictions on marches across England & Wales - all of them - were by the Metropolitan Police, mostly on Palestine solidarity demonstrations netpol.org/2026/02/12/l...
February 17, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Latest Home Office data shows that in 2024-25, there were 162 restrictions imposed on processions and assemblies.
100% of restrictions on marches across England & Wales - all of them - were by the Metropolitan Police, mostly on Palestine solidarity demonstrations netpol.org/2026/02/12/l...
100% of restrictions on marches across England & Wales - all of them - were by the Metropolitan Police, mostly on Palestine solidarity demonstrations netpol.org/2026/02/12/l...
Blimey
February 17, 2026 at 7:52 AM
Blimey
Reposted by David Mead
With the latest Home Office data showing police persistently acting in bad faith in the way they impose restrictions on protests, especially in London, are there still benefits in protest organisers talking to them at all?
Why negotiate if it makes protesters less safe? netpol.org/2026/02/12/p...
Why negotiate if it makes protesters less safe? netpol.org/2026/02/12/p...
February 16, 2026 at 9:08 AM
With the latest Home Office data showing police persistently acting in bad faith in the way they impose restrictions on protests, especially in London, are there still benefits in protest organisers talking to them at all?
Why negotiate if it makes protesters less safe? netpol.org/2026/02/12/p...
Why negotiate if it makes protesters less safe? netpol.org/2026/02/12/p...
Reposted by David Mead
Latest Home Office data shows that in 2024-25, there were 162 restrictions on processions and assemblies imposed across England & Wales. Rather than simply publish a full dataset, the department released information that's hard to navigate – so we have tried to untangle it netpol.org/2026/02/12/l...
February 16, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Latest Home Office data shows that in 2024-25, there were 162 restrictions on processions and assemblies imposed across England & Wales. Rather than simply publish a full dataset, the department released information that's hard to navigate – so we have tried to untangle it netpol.org/2026/02/12/l...
Reposted by David Mead
Was chuffed to be asked to write a chapter (on recruitment and retention) for this comparative report. Do take a look.
Party Membership in Contemporary Europe
<p>Party Membership is in. Across Europe, traditional mass parties are under pressure from digitalisation, personalised leadership and new forms of political engagement. Party membership is often shri...
www.martenscentre.eu
February 14, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Was chuffed to be asked to write a chapter (on recruitment and retention) for this comparative report. Do take a look.
Secondhand Bookshop, Eastbourne, Thursday
February 14, 2026 at 9:14 AM
Secondhand Bookshop, Eastbourne, Thursday
I played a tiny tiny role in this by providing evidence of the potential chilling effect of the proscription on academic freedom - research and teaching - as well as research expertise testifying to the non-use of proscription powers for NVDA in the past
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
UK ban on Palestine Action unlawful, high court judges rule
Protest group’s co-founder wins legal challenge against decision to proscribe it under anti-terrorism laws
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:42 PM
I played a tiny tiny role in this by providing evidence of the potential chilling effect of the proscription on academic freedom - research and teaching - as well as research expertise testifying to the non-use of proscription powers for NVDA in the past
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Reposted by David Mead
Decison to proscribe Palestine Action unlawful due to two reasons:
1: The Home Sec had considered 'other factors' that were not consistent with her own policy, which is founded in the basis that not all orgs who meet the criteria for a terrorist org should be proscribed.
1/2
1: The Home Sec had considered 'other factors' that were not consistent with her own policy, which is founded in the basis that not all orgs who meet the criteria for a terrorist org should be proscribed.
1/2
February 13, 2026 at 12:03 PM
Decison to proscribe Palestine Action unlawful due to two reasons:
1: The Home Sec had considered 'other factors' that were not consistent with her own policy, which is founded in the basis that not all orgs who meet the criteria for a terrorist org should be proscribed.
1/2
1: The Home Sec had considered 'other factors' that were not consistent with her own policy, which is founded in the basis that not all orgs who meet the criteria for a terrorist org should be proscribed.
1/2
Will probably get a bit lost in the noise, but an interesting handful of paras on the application - or not - of Bank Mellat proportionality exercise to the application of policy discretion [73]-[81]
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
www.judiciary.uk
February 13, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Will probably get a bit lost in the noise, but an interesting handful of paras on the application - or not - of Bank Mellat proportionality exercise to the application of policy discretion [73]-[81]
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
Do Americans think the rest of the world is weird and insular and chauvinistic for not calling hockey “field hockey”?
February 13, 2026 at 8:29 AM
Do Americans think the rest of the world is weird and insular and chauvinistic for not calling hockey “field hockey”?
That is very poor decision, one that will rebound to women’s detriment
Our Law Clinic partners Norfolk Community Law Service, have had funding for its domestic abuse service discontinued by the local PCC, as she needs the funds for.... the violence against women and girls strategy and devolution. I don't think this is quite what @jessphillipsmp.bsky.social intended.
Police commissioner ends domestic violence funding so it can go towards devolution
Norfolk's police and crime commissioner is under fire after she said she had withdrawn funding for a domestic violence project because the money had…
www.wymondhamandattleboroughmercury.co.uk
February 12, 2026 at 7:23 PM
That is very poor decision, one that will rebound to women’s detriment
Reposted by David Mead
Prof Steve Waters from our School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing has written a new series for BBC Radio 4 titled 'Good People', with the first episode airing today.
Read more: www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/a...
#ThisIsUEA #Academia
Read more: www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/a...
#ThisIsUEA #Academia
February 12, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Prof Steve Waters from our School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing has written a new series for BBC Radio 4 titled 'Good People', with the first episode airing today.
Read more: www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/a...
#ThisIsUEA #Academia
Read more: www.uea.ac.uk/about/news/a...
#ThisIsUEA #Academia
That’s not how I understood contract law to work but maybe it’s all changed since 1986?
February 12, 2026 at 6:48 PM
That’s not how I understood contract law to work but maybe it’s all changed since 1986?
Reposted by David Mead
Part I of my work in progress mega essay is now published
historyofpublicspace.uk/thoughts/dra...
historyofpublicspace.uk/thoughts/dra...
Draft essay, “More than more than space?”, part I – contested commons
historyofpublicspace.uk
February 12, 2026 at 8:23 AM
Part I of my work in progress mega essay is now published
historyofpublicspace.uk/thoughts/dra...
historyofpublicspace.uk/thoughts/dra...
One more sacking, and Forest can field a 5-a-side team from this season’s managers alone
February 12, 2026 at 8:11 AM
One more sacking, and Forest can field a 5-a-side team from this season’s managers alone
No, R4, somehow I don’t think Ratcliffe is talking about “overseas” players - like Lemmens and Sesco - when he talks of the UK being “colonised by immigrants”
I’m fairly sure he has in his sights Amad Diallo, Mbeuno and Kobbie Mainoo*
* Yes, I know …that’s the point
I’m fairly sure he has in his sights Amad Diallo, Mbeuno and Kobbie Mainoo*
* Yes, I know …that’s the point
February 12, 2026 at 7:57 AM
No, R4, somehow I don’t think Ratcliffe is talking about “overseas” players - like Lemmens and Sesco - when he talks of the UK being “colonised by immigrants”
I’m fairly sure he has in his sights Amad Diallo, Mbeuno and Kobbie Mainoo*
* Yes, I know …that’s the point
I’m fairly sure he has in his sights Amad Diallo, Mbeuno and Kobbie Mainoo*
* Yes, I know …that’s the point