Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Natasa Mavronicola @natasamav.bsky.social · 17d

In this article @ljil-leiden.bsky.social, @mattia800.bsky.social and I challenge the punishment-as-justice perspective that dominates atrocity redress and prevention, examining, with a focus on Gaza, how it can undermine prevention and fuel problematic retaliatory impulses.

bit.ly/48uKHJx

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John Harris @johnharris1969.bsky.social · Jul 7

When a govt lets it be known that it's considering taking rights away from children with Special Needs, a minister doing the rounds saying he's ’not getting into the details’ has one big effect. People feel scared. They lose sleep. Once again: this is not how to do disability policy (or any policy)

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John Harris @johnharris1969.bsky.social · Jul 7

Latest from me: on fears about the govt's plans for Special Needs education, with two key things that Labour ministers & MPs should think about www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

As I watched the benefits fiasco unfolding, knowing that the special needs story would soon explode, it brought one big thought to mind. Labour needs to stop sowing fear and dread among people whose lives are already full of those things. Instead of picking on vulnerable parts of the population who already view the future with deep anxiety, they should maybe go after much more powerful interests, who might be compelled into helping the government with its financial woes. Instead, fear is swirling around parts of society that are already unable to cope. Labour governments are meant to make people feel less scared, not more. If there is going to be yet another “reset”, this is where it should be focused.

There is one point that may yet bring clarity to the government’s thinking. Governing politicians habitually pretend they will win future elections. But there is now every chance that Reform UK might end up in power, possibly in partnership with whatever remains of the Conservatives. Judging by his recent pronouncements, Nigel Farage has very questionable views about special needs and disabilities. There is strong evidence that the same is true of Kemi Badenoch. The current fashion on the political right for nonsense about savagely cutting back the state would have deep implications for Send families. If Labour takes away so many children’s basic educational rights, it may well end up leaving them at the mercy of politicians who will then vandalise their lives. “No decision has been made,” say ministers. It is time they took the only morally and politically right one, and fast.

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Lys Kulamadayil @lyskulamadayil.bsky.social · Jun 2

It's out and available open access!
www.bloomsbury.com/uk/pathology...

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Natasa Mavronicola @natasamav.bsky.social · May 27

Superstars!

Silvana Tapia Tapia @silvilunazul.bsky.social · Apr 23

With my brilliant colleague, @mattia800.bsky.social, last week in Liverpool, at the @slsauk.bsky.social annual conference. The joy of sharing rigorous anticanceral scholarship and collectively building a critique of human rights penality 🤓

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Natasa Mavronicola @natasamav.bsky.social · May 27

A must-read by @karengle.bsky.social!

International Law & Politics CRN @intllawpoliticscrn.bsky.social · May 22

The Element is *FREE* to access online for the next 2 weeks and pre-order print copies can be purchased in advance of print publication in June at a VERY reasonable price: www.cambridge.org/core/element...

Toward an Abolitionist Human Rights Court

Cambridge Core - Public International Law - Toward an Abolitionist Human Rights Court

www.cambridge.org

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Karen Engle @karengle.bsky.social · May 27

Terrific to see my book available online — and soon in print! Many thanks to series editors Nadia Lambek, @riclements.bsky.social, @leslava.bsky.social, and Markus Gunneflo! And congrats on the new series!

International Law & Politics CRN @intllawpoliticscrn.bsky.social · May 22

The Element is *FREE* to access online for the next 2 weeks and pre-order print copies can be purchased in advance of print publication in June at a VERY reasonable price: www.cambridge.org/core/element...

Toward an Abolitionist Human Rights Court

Cambridge Core - Public International Law - Toward an Abolitionist Human Rights Court

www.cambridge.org

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Archie Bland @archiebland.bsky.social · May 24

I wrote for the Guardian’s Saturday magazine about my son Max, who changed how I see the world. Took ages. More jokes after the first bit.

Thanks Merope Mills for being the most patient and generous editor.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

The boy who came back: the near-death, and changed life, of my son Max

It was, we were told, a case of sudden infant death syndrome interrupted. What followed would transform my understanding of parenting, disability and the breadth of what makes a meaningful life

www.theguardian.com

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Channel 4 News @channel4news.bsky.social · May 12

Covid inquiry: 180,000 lives could have been saved
www.channel4.com/news/covid-i...

Covid inquiry: 180,000 lives could have been saved

If the government had listened to experts and implemented the same strategies used in other countries, 180,000 lives may have been saved during Covid, the UK Covid Inquiry heard today.

www.channel4.com

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Viet Thanh Nguyen @vietthanhnguyen.bsky.social · May 14

The UN says starvation and famine is imminent.

Now some Israeli officers say the same.

Mass, deliberate starvation of 2 million people. That's what's happening.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/13/w...

In Private, Some Israeli Officers Admit That Gaza Is on the Brink of Starvation

www.nytimes.com

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · May 12

Starmer: this is "incalculable damage"

Taraaaaaaaaghhhhh! Zombies!!! @theblueststar.bsky.social · May 12

I've just come from the hospital where my mam is at the moment having had a fall. The staff are Indian, Pakistani, African, Filipino, Irish, Spanish etc. in fact the hospital had an enormous drive to get people from the Philippines to move here to work.

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Jens Theilen @jtheilen.bsky.social · Apr 29

📄 New article:

Colonialism continues to shape the project of European human rights. In this article I trace the continuity of civilizational hierarchies in the ECtHR’s case-law on extraterritoriality and European consensus

Available in EJIL @ejiltalk.bsky.social: academic.oup.com/ejil/advance...

A screenshot of the title (“Civilizational Hierarchies and the Notion of ‘Europe’ in the European Convention on Human Rights”) and abstract of the paper available at the link above

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Dr. Sandra Duffy Golden @sandraduffy.bsky.social · May 7

We invite signatures from UK law people for our open letter on the aftermath of FWS.

*Please sign and share with your networks* as we will send to the relevant parliamentary human rights bodies on closure of the letter.

Aoife O'Donoghue @aoifemod.bsky.social · May 7

A group of us law academics put together a letter on FWS v Scottish Ministers UK Supreme Court ruling & we are asking other *UK based law folk* (academic activist practitioner etc) to sign

More details 👇

#transrights #trans #transgender #lawsky #academicsky #UKlaw

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

A Law Letter on FWS v Scottish Ministers

A coalition of legal academics have drafted a letter setting out our support for trans rights and our concerns about the FWS v Scottish Ministers UKSC ruling. We are opening it up for signature to ev...

docs.google.com

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Fionnuala NÍ Aoláin KC (Hons) @niaolainf.bsky.social · Apr 15

The forensics don’t lie. Medics shot in the head, at close range, and more. Prima facia has to be considered a war crime.

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/15/w...

Autopsies of Slain Gaza Medics Show Some Were Shot in the Head

The New York Times obtained autopsy reports for 14 of the 15 people killed in a March 23 attack on an ambulance and fire truck.

www.nytimes.com

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Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · Apr 16

getting a bit tiring to think "ah yay, the worst people you know are having a great day" several times a week, every single week

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Good Law Project @goodlawproject.bsky.social · Apr 16

On what is a really difficult day, here are some resources for our trans friends and allies.

Solidarity 💜
goodlawproject.org/resource/sup...

Support resources for our trans friends and allies | Good Law Project

At a time when anti-trans discrimination is rife and hate crime has reached record levels, it’s important to know what support is out there for trans, non-binary or gender-questioning individuals and ...

goodlawproject.org

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · Apr 11

Adolf Hitler's “Mein Kampf” is still on U.S. Naval Academy shelves. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and “Memorializing the Holocaust” are not.

An order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office led to a purge of books that are critical of racism — but preserved volumes defending white power.

Who’s In and Who’s Out at the Naval Academy’s Library?

An order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office resulted in a purge of books critical of racism but preserved volumes defending white power.

www.nytimes.com

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ACLU @aclu.org · Apr 11

BREAKING: An immigration court determined our client Mahmoud Khalil to be removable from the U.S. based solely on his political speech.

The fight isn't over — we'll keep fighting for Mahmoud's freedom and all of our First Amendment rights in federal court.

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Mattia Pinto @mattia800.bsky.social · Mar 31

On 8th April, I'll be speaking at VERNAC TALKS by DIGNITY Vernacular Accountability Project. My talk, Restoring Harmony, explores how Nasa Indigenous justice in Colombia offers a restorative and collective model for human rights accountability.

DM me for the Zoom link.

@cahr-york.bsky.social

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · Mar 27

Including judgments against Greece for death of a migrant, and against Serbia for extradition to an unsafe country

Screenshot of the press release summary of the two judgments. Full text in the link.

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Dr Stuart Wallace @echrhawk.bsky.social · Mar 25

I am writing a textbook on International Human Rights Law with my amazing colleagues at bsky.app/profile/lsjl... and... it’s a bit special and I'm really excited about it.
What’s so special? Well it will be completely free and open access. But for it to work I need some help...

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Rebecca Rideal @rebeccarideal.bsky.social · Mar 27

400 years ago today, Charles I became king of England, Scotland and Ireland. It went really well for him.

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Special Needs Jungle @spcialndsjungle.bsky.social · Mar 27

An excellent piece from @johnharris1969.bsky.social in The @newstatesman.com on his family's SEND struggles. High praise for SNJ's "battle-hardened SEND veterans" ”Don’t take away children’s rights, because if you do, you'll have a hell of a fight on your hands.” www.newstatesman.com/politic...

The special needs trap

What one parent’s experience reveals about a system on the brink of collapse.

www.newstatesman.com

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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · Mar 24

"No return to austerity" latest

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Gautam Bhatia @gautambhatia88.bsky.social · Mar 14

New blog post:

"Spatial Justice in Eviction Cases under the South African Constitution" --

indconlawphil.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/g...

[A guest post by Rishika Sahgal.]

Guest Post: Spatial Justice in Eviction Cases under the South African Constitution

[This is a guest post by Rishika Sahgal.] Cases involving eviction from well-located land in the heart of cities and relocation to urban peripheries are common across the world, including in India …

indconlawphil.wordpress.com

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