Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by James Hand

Tormented🕷Abroad @jjgass.bsky.social · 2d

As with gallons, Imperial measures in Britain aren't the same as those in the US. They don't even have the Scaramucci over here.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 2d

Sebastian Lecornu, resigns after 27 days, likely to serve 29 days.

A Lecornu is only 6/10ths of a Truss (44/50 days)

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

What happened on a chaotic day in French politics – and what next?

Sébastien Lecornu agreed two days’ extension to his 27-day premiership in last-ditch effort to form government

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by James Hand

Victorian Commons @victoriancommons.bsky.social · 3d

A surprising number of the MPs in our 1832-68 project came from humble backgrounds. John Rolt, born #OnThisDay 1804, began his working life as a draper’s apprentice. Find out more about his rise to the position of attorney-general here: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2017/10/23/f...

From draper’s apprentice to attorney-general: Sir John Rolt and the 1867 Reform Act

With this year marking the 150th anniversary of the passing of the Second Reform Act, our MP of the Month is one of the lesser known architects of this measure, the attorney-general, Sir John Rolt,…

victoriancommons.wordpress.com

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James Hand @jamesahand.bsky.social · 6d

CfP: Special Issue on Social Change and the Role of Advertising Regulation: New Challenges and Opportunities

Manuscript deadline: 31 July 2026

think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issu...

May be of interest to #LawSky

Social Change and the Role of Advertising Regulation: New Challenges and Opportunities

think.taylorandfrancis.com

James Hand @jamesahand.bsky.social · 7d

Didn't know or had forgotten but apparently the Beaulieu river was at sometime known as the Exe www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HAM/
www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/explore/rive...

GENUKI: Hampshire, Hampshire

Hampshire Hampshire genealogy

www.genuki.org.uk

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Reposted by James Hand

UoP Law @uoplaw.bsky.social · 8d

Out last month

Glanville Williams: Learning the Law, 18th Edition

Authors: Charlotte Harrison (UoP), Amanda Millmore (Reading)

www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/en-gb/produc...

Image of the the Thomson Reuters Book 'Glanville Williams: Learning the Law, 18th Edition' by Charlotte Harrison, Amanda Millmore

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Reposted by James Hand

Jim Dickinson @jimdickinson.bsky.social · 9d

NEW on Wonkhe: Staff in higher education are motivated by many factors – David Kernohan assesses the gap between aspiration and experience buff.ly/T93OJLJ

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James Hand @jamesahand.bsky.social · 8d

Some interesting quotes

The job market is so broken that Gen Z men are gambling their paychecks for a shot at instant millions: ‘$256K is about to go down on the table’ fortune.com/2025/09/30/e...

The job market is so broken that Gen Z men are gambling their paychecks for a shot at instant millions: ‘$256K is about to go down on the table’ | Fortune

Millions of Gen Z men are jobless. With unemployment stacked against them, many are gambling thousands away on blackjack and roulette, rather than climb the ladder.

fortune.com

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Reposted by James Hand

Aileen Kavanagh @aileenkavanagh.bsky.social · 8d

Join us for an ICON meets TriCON webinar on October 17th on the rationale and risks of referendums!

Brilliant speakers, important topic.
ICON GBIE
@tricondublin.bsky.social

Aoife O'Donoghue @aoifemod.bsky.social · 8d

This is going to be an excellent event with speakers including @maireadenright.bsky.social @conorkelly.bsky.social
@dkennytcd.bsky.social @aileenkavanagh.bsky.social @aileenmcharg.bsky.social @danielwincott.bsky.social @profnicolamcewen.bsky.social 📢

@ICONSGBIE @iconsgbie.bsky.social · 8d

📢ICON GBIE, TRICON, QUB Webinar:

Familiarity, Culture & Expertise: The Future of Referendums in Ireland & the UK

Oct 17th 10:00-13:00 Online

To register follow the link below:
events.teams.microsoft.com/event/0d55a0...

1/3 👇

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Reposted by James Hand

Sarah Fackrell @design-law.bsky.social · 9d

I have a perma.cc account AND an Internet Archive account now. I am UNSTOPPABLE.

Websites change. Perma Links don't.

Perma.cc helps scholars, journals, courts, and others create permanent records of the web sources they cite.

perma.cc

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Reposted by James Hand

Sean Jones KC @seanjones.org · 12d

Does your pet look good in a horsehair wig? Do they deserve to be seen and admired by thousands? Why not dress them up as a lawyer and submit their photo for inclusion in this year’s Law Paw Calendar (www.lawpawcalendar.com)? All proceeds will go to @savechildrenuk.bsky.social

Law Paw Calendar

www.lawpawcalendar.com

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Reposted by James Hand

Daniella Lock @daniellalock.bsky.social · 12d

My article 'Backdoor Executive Empowerment' is now available open access published by Legal Studies. The paper identifies 6 mechanisms the last UK Government used to obstruct democratic scrutiny of new changes it introduced to expand executive powers 🧵1/5

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Backdoor Executive Empowerment | Legal Studies | Cambridge Core

Backdoor Executive Empowerment

www.cambridge.org

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Reposted by James Hand

SSRN @ssrn.bsky.social · 13d

This article argues that, despite recent challenges, the classical view—unlawful administrative acts are void & #judicial review is declaratory—is vital for upholding the #ruleoflaw.

Read: spkl.io/63327AT8S7
Subscribe: spkl.io/63323AT8sD

#LawSky @cambridgelaw.bsky.social

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Reposted by James Hand

Catherine Baksi @legalhackette.bsky.social · 20d

Sidney Ross, the oldest barrister still practising in England and Wales, talks to The Brief from @thetimes.com. www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Sidney Ross: ‘You could say my legal career is an accident’

At 93, the oldest practising barrister in England and Wales tells Catherine Baksi how he launched a law career in his fifties after two decades as a lecturer

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by James Hand

Nils Hoppe @hoppe.law · 13d

Bloody Thespians…

“Danish authorities say ‘professional actor’ responsible for airport drone attacks”

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

Danish authorities say ‘professional actor’ responsible for airport drone attacks – Europe live

Defence minister warns that hybrid incidents are ‘here to stay’ and Denmark will acquire ‘enhanced capabilities’ after second drone incident in Danish airspace this week

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by James Hand

Liz Hicks @lizhicks.bsky.social · 14d

In this post for auspublaw I share some thoughts on the recent Australian Federal Court decision of Pabai v Commonwealth. /1

www.auspublaw.org/home/2025/09...

‘Climate Overloading’ and Separation of Powers Arguments: Reflections on Pabai v Commonwealth of Australia — Australian Public Law

Liz Hicks

www.auspublaw.org

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Reposted by James Hand

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 15d

Hobbyhorse: at university, lectures remain an incredible format. They introduce & explore a huge amount of content in a short period of time. They scaffold further reading, with a personal twist. Workshops, etc, do their own thing, but don't replace effective lectures:

share.google/AyFxBwYh5BYM...

To save in-person lectures, unis need to provide lessons worth showing up for

In-person lectures have been a staple of university learning for centuries. But they are going out of style in an age of TED Talks and Tiktoks.

share.google

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Reposted by James Hand

Lewis Graham @lewisgrahamlaw.bsky.social · 15d

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled, 20 years after the landmark Hirst case, that an applicant prisoner's inability to vote in a UK General Election did not breach the Convention.

Hora v United Kingdom (23 September 2025): hudoc.echr.coe.int?i=001-244851

Some quick thoughts from me:

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HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights

The HUDOC database provides access to the case-law of the Court (Grand Chamber, Chamber and Committee judgments and decisions, communicated cases, advisory opinions and legal summaries from the Case-L...

hudoc.echr.coe.int

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Reposted by James Hand

Illan wall @illanwall.bsky.social · 16d

Anyone with an interesting Postdoc idea related to critical legal theory, law/exception, public order, policing, strikes or critical engagements with human rights, drop me a line. The timeline is short on this (23rd of Oct) but its well worth applying: www.researchireland.ie/funding/gove...

Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme - Research Ireland

The Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is an established national initiative, funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and manag...

www.researchireland.ie

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Reposted by James Hand

Simon Cox @simonfrcox.bsky.social · 16d

Becoming a judge does not require that the candidate has never espoused beliefs on controversial political issues. Let alone that the judge has never volunteered for organisations providing free legal representation.

A strong democracy draws judges from all ranges of democratic opinions. //

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James Hand @jamesahand.bsky.social · 16d

Of his 10 ways, the comment about the House of Lords may have some merit but much of the rest seems to be populist rhetoric overcoming legal and constitutional accuracy - some surprising comments from a former SG and AG albeit briefly

Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 17d

Madness. Michael Ellis, Attorney General under Truss and MAGA fan, will fix ‘Broken Britain’ by abolishing the Supreme Court, leaving the ECHR and UN, hiring and firing judges, abolishing police operational independence and politicising civil service. www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

Access Restricted

www.telegraph.co.uk

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Reposted by James Hand

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 16d

Because it isn’t artificial ‘intelligence’ at all…

Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · 16d

Some people think ChatGPT has a place writing things like news briefs, stuff written to a specific style and tone and, y'know, kinda boring.

So Science did a study.

ChatGPT failed.

Why? It got stuff wrong. "Also, extensive editing for hyperbole was needed." www.science.org/content/blog...

Can ChatGPT help science writers?

www.science.org

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Reposted by James Hand

Alastair Meeks @alastairmeeks.bsky.social · 17d

This is a really good illustration of how people have a poor handle on their positioning relative to others.

If you'd asked me, I'd have imagined I was perhaps a bit above average in my number of followers. I'd have had no idea I'm approaching the 99.9th percentile.

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · 18d

If you have two followers, you are ahead of half of all Bluesky accounts.
If you have 400 followers, you are in the top 1%.
bsky.jazco.dev/stats

Chart showing share of followers per user percentile. A user in the 50th percentile has 1 follower. A user in the 99.99th percentile has 11,241 followers.

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James Hand @jamesahand.bsky.social · 21d

2/2

The inclusion of FWS is understandable but the prominence of s.1 above all others seems less so (even if it is to be brought into force)

8.10 from https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9384/CBP-9384.pdf Sept 2025

8.10 from https://web.archive.org/web/20250313235653if_/https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9384/CBP-9384.pdf Feb 25

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James Hand @jamesahand.bsky.social · 21d

A Sept version of the Commons Library Note The United Kingdom constitution – a mapping exercise commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-bri... is out today. Equality law is of course a very small element of a sizeable doc but some curious changes from the Feb version.

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The United Kingdom constitution - a mapping exercise

A briefing paper which "maps" (or summarises) the main elements of the United Kingdom's uncodified constitution.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk

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Reposted by James Hand

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 22d

Credit to Simon Briscoe and others for coming up with a detailed new plan for the statistical system. ONS should fall under the control of a Cabinet Office Minister, but there should then be a new form of parliamentary oversight of all statistics
simonbriscoeblog.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/a...

A new legislative framework for UKSA

A look at the causes of the many data issues in the Office for National Statistics and reading the various inquiries into its parent body, UK Statistics Authority, it is clear that the governance s…

simonbriscoeblog.wordpress.com

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