Clegg walks through fire for power!

All Lib Dem ministers will back rise in tuition fees BBC: All Liberal Democrat government ministers will vote to raise the cap on university tuition fees in England, party leader Nick Clegg has said.There had been speculation some could abstain from a vote over the controversial policy, which has prompted weeks of student protests. But [...]

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Charon’s Advent calendar: Day Seven

I find quite a few politicians a bit baffling – but this latest nonsense from John Hemming MP, who has a reputation for being quite bright, is just daft…. Political Scrapbook reports…. “Millionaire Liberal Democrat John “three homes” Hemming has told Radio 4 he would vote for  a rise in tuition fees to punish students [...]

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Ou est L’Assange ?

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Charon QC commentates at the case of R v Kevin Pieterlag and Johnny ‘Robbers’ Robber – first televised five day test Trial

A TRANSCRIPT OF THE COMMENTARY IN THE FIRST TELEVISED UK TRIAL R V KEVIN PIETERLAG AND JOHNNY ‘ROBBERS’ ROBBER Charon QC: Good morning everybody…Welcome to The Old Bailey on day one of a five day trial in the case of  R v Kevin Pieterlag and Johnny ‘Robbers’ Robbers.  Mr Justice Blackcap is presiding….. a few [...]

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Law Review: Courts to be televised! Lag-Factor or ‘I’m an egotist…get me into there’?

While I like the idea of Justice being seen to be done etc etc… the fact of the matter is that most court proceedings are lengthy and, at times, astonishingly dull. I can’t see many watching extended televised cases in courts.  I can see some merit in edited highlights and it would be fascinating to [...]

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Charon’s Advent calendar: Day Six – C**TGate

Today… and it was on the Today programme – it is a very easy choice for the ‘morsel’. James Naughtie on  BBC Radio 4 the Today programme managed to do a ‘classic spoonerism’ when trailing that he was going to be talking to Jeremy Hunt MP And then…Andrew Marr, managed to repeat it… Wonderful start [...]

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Charon’s Advent calendar: Day Five

It is not that long ago when a fresh faced youthful man who, hitherto, had been largely ignored and mocked by prime minister and leader of the opposition alike, stood behind a lectern on television between two giants of the political stage and told us…“You want to know the great political story of our generation? [...]

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#Ashesfilms

It is not often we can enjoy England success in Oz in The Ashes…… England doing well…..  Twitter on #ashes has been fun tonight….

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Abstain intr.v. 1. To refrain from being true to one’s pledge. 2.To be a Lib-Dem

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Charon’s Advent calendar: Day Four

In the wake of the ‘seriously pissed Santa’ of yesterday’s advent calendar post, I am pleased to be able to report that stupidity is not unknown on our shores. I spent nearly a year living in Chatham Maritime, overlooking the old naval basins and near the dockyard where HMS Victory was built.  I am not, [...]

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Charon’s Advent calendar: Day Three

I thought I would kick off with two sporting matters – first, a remarkable first over in The Ashes match last night  – I am one of many staying up much of the night watching and tweeting – when three of Australia’s top batsmen were out within but 3-4 balls showing a remarkable scoreline which [...]

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Lawcast 171: Nigel Savage, CEO of The College of Law on the need to reform legal education

Today I am talking to Nigel Savage, chief executive of the College of Law. Nigel Savage has been in legal education for over 30 years and, in earlier years, was a law teacher and co-author of a well regarded textbook… so he is by no means just a corporate CEO running a law school – [...]

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Charon’s Advent calendar: Day Two

Two choice morsels for you today… the first one I enjoyed very much on the subject of how the Americans and the British can stop Assange and Wikileaks… 1. Lilian Edwards, UK cyberlawyer, has a great post on the issue. I won’t spoil your pleasure with any extracts… do read it if you have time.. [...]

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Law Review: Libel reform

Supreme court changes fair comment defence in libel cases Guardian: Lord Phillips says that key test for defending libel cases should be changed to ‘honest comment’ in light of new technology Spiller and another (Appellants) v Joseph and others (Respondents) [2010] UKSC 53 On appeal from the Court of Appeal [2009] EWCA Civ 1075 JUSTICES: [...]

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Amazon – The Braveheart of the Internet sellers ? :-)

I am sure that my addition to this tweet is a bit frivolous… but hey… do I care?  Nope. Why did Amazon take Wikileaks business in the first place if they were going to cave in at the first bit of pressure…… from The US Govt…as people say they have on the #Wikileaks issue? I [...]

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Law Review: Has Assange of Wikileaks actually committed a crime?

One of the problems the Americans face – unless they adopt the stealth bullet in the back of the head approach being suggested by some in the US and Canada, call in an air strike or ‘use a drone’ to hunt him down  – is proving that Assange has actually committed a crime for which [...]

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Charon’s Advent Calendar: Day One….

A friend of mine on Twitter – @TheDreamSociety – put the thought into my head that I should do a daily Advent calendar – with some choice item each day.  Whether I will be able to find ‘choice’ items is another thing.  Sometimes they will be serious items and sometimes they won’t.  We’ll see how [...]

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