I’ve had the debate on in the background this afternoon (while marking a never-ending pile of exam papers on free movement of goods and persons) – and it’s not been a bad one. Bill Cash has obsessively been intervening to […]

The Lords have given quite an interesting judgment today on the standard of proof in care proceedings under the Children Act 1989, which I think in principle applies across the board in civil proceedings. They’ve cut through the confusion […]

Jacqui Smith is on her feet as I write, opening the third reading debate on the Counter-Terrorism Bill: at about 7 o’clock tonight MPs will finally vote on the government’s proposed reserve power to extend detention of terror suspects without […]

It was probably predictable that at some point the public and political debate about this bill, and the proposed extension of pre-charge detention of terror suspects to a potential maximum of 42 days, would be diverted away from the merits […]

It’s not been a big news story, but if you think about it, it could be one of the biggest political stories of 2008: on Thursday, Irish voters choose in a referendum whether or not to approve the Treaty of […]

The trial of Al Qaeda suspects in the US big news at the moment of course – with Khalid Sheikh Muhammad and others having appeared before a military tribunal on Friday. I’m interested, though, in this Federal Court […]

This is the headline on the local newspaper hoardings near my home today. Harlesden man sounds like something archaeological, doesn’t he? But he’s more Willesden junction than missing link in fact. Anyway, enough of this nonsense: this is the […]

The other French story concerns Sarko’s legal axewoman Rachida Dati, the very sexy but somewhat dangerous minister of justice. She’s got herself into trouble by initially defending the judgment of a court in Lille, which granted annulment of a […]

Two stories from France today: first, that of Brigitte Bardot and her conviction by the Paris Tribunal Correctionnel for incitement of hatred towards Muslims. It wasn’t her first conviction, either. This time (the offence goes back to […]

Jacqui Smith seems to have persuaded some Labour MPs at the meeting of backbenchers last night – though to be honest, listening to some of the converts I wonder whether they had understood the legislation before now. Nick Robinson […]