Ryan Goss

A reminder that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remains 8th in the order of succession for head of state for Australia.

“as absurd as an hereditary mathematician, or an hereditary wise man; and as ridiculous as an hereditary poet-laureate.“

Australians for Constitutional Monarchy convenor not so sure about hereditary monarchy www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

These are the CPS guidelines on the offence of Misconduct in Public Office

www.cps.gov.uk/prosecution-...

01.01.26

What might an expanded parliament map look like? A lot of people would love to know how the electoral map would change if the parliament was expanded. We’ve already been able to get some idea of what might happen by looking back at the hist…

Today's blog post is one I've been working on for a while - I have drawn a map of what the electoral map could look like if the Parliament expanded to 16 senators per state and 200 seats in the House. #auspol

Glad it’s of use, Ben!

Probably more law-heavy than you want , but … www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/...

Great read - “Abolish the Monarchy” by Will Lloyd

extract from Turnbull memoir. Cosgrove urged 'to do something' by radio hosts.

An interesting anecdote in Malcolm Turnbull's memoir about Peter Cosgrove as Governor-General, during the period of the s44 dual citizenship saga

The Engel criteria in the 21st century: irrational flexibility and deference in recent European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence Abstract. What does it mean for someone to be charged with a criminal offence? This is a question of considerable significance for multiple heavily-litigat

Second, I argue that the last decade of case law shows the Engel criteria can provide cover for decisions facilitating State sovereignty or facilitating State arguments justifying restrictions on the basis of broader public interests. #echr #humanrights(4/4) academic.oup.com/hrlr/article...

In the piece I argue, first, that the recent jurisprudence is characterized by a degree of incoherence and inconsistency that manifests as ‘irrational flexibility’. #echr #humanrights #humanrightslaw (3/4)

This article is focused squarely on the last decade of the European Court of Human Rights' case law on the Engel criteria, looking at two major 2020s Grand Chamber decisions and dozens of other recent decisions. #echr #humanrights #humanrightslaw (2/4)

abstract of journal article linked to later in thread

What does it mean for someone to be charged with a criminal offence?
My new journal article is out this week in OUP’s Human Rights Law Review on the ECtHR's Engel criteria in the 21st century (1/4)

academic.oup.com/hrlr/article...
#echr #humanrights #humanrightslaw #law

We are delighted to share Conor Gearty @lselaw.bsky.social’s reflections on writing: 8 tips for surviving (and enjoying!) academic writing.

Many thanks to Conor for sharing his insights!

Article: doi.org/10.53386/nil...

Series: doi.org/10.53386/nil...

#conorgearty #humanrights #ruleoflaw #justice #academia #lse #inmemoriam | Cherie Blair CBE KC 💔 I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of my dear friend and colleague, Professor Conor Gearty. Conor was a man of remarkable intellect—brilliant, principled, endlessly curious, and always gene...

Huge, huge loss for the UK legal and political community

www.linkedin.com/posts/cherie...

It's a hard sell, but more politicians would be good for Aus:

* Deeper talent pool for committees & ministries
* More access - most Aussies have never interacted with their local MP
* Reverses the growing physical size of rural electorates

Since 1980s, Aus added +11 million people and no new MPs.

Does Nature Need Rights? Abstract. Rights of nature (RoN) appear to provide a promising alternative to anthropocentric environmental rights. But do they meet the demands of transfo

My article "Does Nature Need Rights?" (coauthored with the wonderful Lulu Weis), forthcoming in the OJLS, is now available open access: academic.oup.com/ojls/advance...

Some interesting ideas in this, and noticeable that the Canberra model is increasingly in vogue among reformers; @lewisbaston.bsky.social was similarly arguing a few months back that the UK could do worse than adopting an Australian-style parliamentary system.

10 June 2025 Statement from Government House Attributable to Official Secretary David Hughes: This evening Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania, received the Premier, the Honourable Jeremy Rockliff MP, at Government House. Following their conversation, Her Excellency is now taking the time necessary to give due consideration to all available options. By the end of the week the Premier will meet with Her Excellency again. Further statements will be made in due course.

Here's the full statement from Government House:

🏛️ Great to publish this article on parliamentary privilege, coauthored with Prof Gabrielle Appleby; Tasmanian roadworks have never been so interesting!

G Appleby & R Goss (2025) 40(1) Australasian Parliamentary Review 14-33 www.aspg.org.au/a-p-r-journa... #auslaw

“our constitutional arrangements mean that we must, as a community, recognise our problems and accept that solving them is the responsibility of all of us because we can't look to pronouncements from on high to solve our political differences.…” — Justice Keane, 2008.

Pleased to have my research on criminal fair trial rights cited again in a recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg: Gorse v Slovenia, in the Concurring Opinion of Judge Serghides #echr #humanrights hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-24...

press release

Pleased to have 4 pieces of my research on #ECHR criminal fair trial rights cited again this week in a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, in the Dissenting Opinion of Judge Serghides in Souroullas Kay and Zannettos v Cyprus. hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-23...