For the first time since it was sponsored by Granada Bingo in 1988, my football team’s shirt sponsor this season was a gambling company. Amongst supporters there was some dismay about the association but that has now turned into a resigned acceptance that this is
When we are thinking about the people who hand down legal judgments our wishful thinking lets us hope that they are entirely neutral and applying the law in an even and fair-handed way. In reality we know they aren’t some sort of semi-divine beings who
As we enter into the third week of a national lockdown the signs of hope are still relatively dim. Cases and deaths are still extraordinarily high to an extent that has not been seen since the virus first hit these shores. The vaccination effort is
As a society suicides are something that we should always seek to prevent whether that is by removing the means for committing suicide or simply providing better mental healthcare. Sadly it will never likely be possible to reduce the number to zero but that should
There remain very few people who still advocate for the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. From across the political spectrum in the UK, today’s decision to refuse the claim of U.S. authorities was broadly welcomed. At its heart the prosecution of a
The dead period between Christmas and New Year is normally a time for relaxing, watching rubbish TV and regretting how much food you are still eating. Sadly for lawyers, legal commentators and anyone with an interest in politics that has not exactly been possible this
The family of PC Andrew Harper should have been supported in their time of need. Instead they were offered false hope and embarrassed on the public stage. As a quick reminder Harper was tragically killed in August of last year as he was trying to
In a potentially landmark judgment the High Court today reached a decision about puberty-blocking drugs that may end up having long-lasting consequences on medical treatment in the UK. Obviously this is a sensitive issue that attracts a lot of passion but in this piece I
The term ‘elective dictatorship’ has worked its way into a number of think pieces in recent weeks but what does it mean? Really it should be a contradiction in terms; how can a dictator be subject to elections? In the UK the term gained prominence
Despite the positive news about a potential vaccine for COVID-19 it remains likely that we will continue to live with the virus for some time to come. Some sectors have done well to cope with the ‘new normal’ but it is time to face up