Daniella Lock

NEW: Home Office announces planned new anti-protest powers, mainly aimed at pro-Gaza protests like those for Palestine Action. Police will be able to consider the "cumulative impact" of repeated protests and potentially order that they be relocated.

4. This would be the sort of law the Reviewer is meant to act as a bulwalk against in the aftermath of the kind of appalling terrorist attack we have just seen.

3. In giving this public response, the Reviewer risks legitimising a knee-jerk and disproportionate new terrorism law - further eroding the right to protest in the UK after years of it being under attack.

2. By not acknowledging this, the Independent Reviewer appeared to be describing a new regime that would incentivise governments to interpret terrorism law even more broadly where they wanted a reason to ban protests.

1. The discussion made no acknowledgement that the huge burden on police in protests currently is due to a political decision to proscribe a direct action group - huge numbers of police are now required to carry out mass arrests of peaceful protesters under terrorism law.

The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation's comments on radio 4 today were worrying. He refers to a potential need for legal changes to enable the banning of protests to alleviate the burden on police for national security reasons, while discussing the defend our juries protest on Saturday.

UK makes new attempt to access Apple cloud data Order issued in September comes after Trump administration said London had backed down in fight over encryption

'The UK Home Office demanded in early September that Apple create a means to allow officials access to encrypted cloud backups, but stipulated that the order applied only to British citizens’ data, according to people briefed on the matter.' www.ft.com/content/d101...

Lobbying at the Labour conference..

Police arrest 66 people at Palestine Action rally near Labour conference 83-year-old among those taken into custody on suspicion of supporting a proscribed terror group at Liverpool protest

Police arrest 66 people at Palestine Action rally near Labour conference www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

The article further argues that Labour seems to be following a similar trend in evading democratic scrutiny, despite election commitments to empowering Parliament. Its process for proscribing Palestine Action is a good example, particularly its withholding of information requested by the ISC 5/5

All govs manipulate the legislative process, and these mechanisms are not new. However, the article argues that the repeated reliance on them in relation to such a democratically significant set of legislation helped create a backdoor to facilitate Executive empowerment in the areas examined 4/5

Mechanisms of parliamentary marginalisation:
1: Avoiding pre-legislative scrutiny
2: Exploiting the parliamentary timetable
3: Legislative overload
4. Excessive reliance on skeleton bills
5. Failure to provide crucial info to parliament
6. Reliance on spurious claims in justifying changes 3/5

The relevant powers examined are those interfering with fundamental rights - including labour rights, protest rights, the right to not be tortured, and the right to liberty (including to have a judge decide whether the state detaining you is reasonable) 2/5

My article 'Backdoor Executive Empowerment' is now available open access published by Legal Studies. The paper identifies 6 mechanisms the last UK Government used to obstruct democratic scrutiny of new changes it introduced to expand executive powers 🧵1/5

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

The article further argues that Labour seems to be following a similar trend in evading democratic scrutiny, despite election commitments to empowering Parliament. Its process for proscribing Palestine Action is a good example, particularly its withholding of information requested by the ISC 5/5

All govs manipulate the legislative process, and these mechanisms are not new. However, the article argues that the repeated reliance on them in relation to such a democratically significant set of legislation helped create a backdoor to facilitate Executive empowerment in the areas examined 4/5

Mechanisms of parliamentary marginalisation:
1: Avoiding pre-legislative scrutiny
2: Exploiting the parliamentary timetable
3: Legislative overload
4. Excessive reliance on skeleton bills
5. Failure to provide crucial info to parliament
6. Reliance on spurious claims in justifying changes 3/5

The relevant powers examined are those interfering with fundamental rights - including labour rights, protest rights, the right to not be tortured, and the right to liberty (including to have a judge decide whether the state detaining you is reasonable) 2/5

The article further argues that Labour seems to be following a similar trend in evading democratic scrutiny, despite election commitments to empowering Parliament. Its process for proscribing Palestine Action is a good example, particularly its withholding of information requested by the ISC 5/5

All govs manipulate the legislative process, and these mechanisms are not new. However, the article argues that the repeated reliance on them in relation to such a democratically significant set of legislation helped create a backdoor to facilitate Executive empowerment in the areas examined 4/5

Mechanisms of parliamentary marginalisation:
1: Avoiding pre-legislative scrutiny
2: Exploiting the parliamentary timetable
3: Legislative overload
4. Excessive reliance on skeleton bills
5. Failure to provide crucial info to parliament
6. Reliance on spurious claims in justifying changes 3/5

The relevant powers examined are those interfering with fundamental rights - including those related to labour rights, protest rights, the right to not be tortured, and the right to liberty (including to have a judge decide whether the state detaining you is reasonable) 2/5

Spycops inquiry chair faces legal challenge by blacklisted union activist Legal papers applying for a Judicial Review have been submitted against the chair of the undercover policing inquiry by blacklisted union activist Dave Smith. The application, to be decided on by a…

The chair of the undercover policing inquiry faces legal action over decision not to allow blacklisted union activist Dave Smith to give oral evidence at the public inquiry in November

www.hazards.org/blacklistblo...

- TBI health policy director Charlotte Refsum given an official role to work on the government's ten year NHS plan
- TBI's Tom Westgarth being brought in to develop Starmer's AI Opportunities Action Plan while still on the TBI payroll 2/2

A great read on the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), whose last summer party was held at McKinsey's HQ and co-hosted by ex-McKinsey current chair of NHS England. It includes important info on the revolving door between this tech and petrostate-funded think tank and Starmer's government, including - 1/2

Manchester Palestine Action protest sees 12 people charged Police say the charges are in relation to a demonstration in Manchester in July.

12 more people charged under the Terrorism Act for supporting Palestine Action www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

PSNI to publish review into journalists' phone surveillance It is likely to criticise how the police used reporters' phone numbers to check for information leaks.

'As well as journalists, Mr McCullough has looked at how covert measures may have been used against lawyers and others.

It is understood his report runs to around 200 pages.' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

📚 BOOK TALK: England’s Military Heartland

🎙️ Khem Rogaly, Saskia Papadakis, Antonia Dawes & Rachael Milliner

⏰ 7.00PM — 8.30PM

🗓️ Weds 24 Sept

📍 @housmansbookshop.bsky.social, 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX

🔗 Sign up for a ticket now!

housmans.com/event/book-t...

Should the government have used terrorism law against Palestine Action? A disclosed MI5 document indicates that the basis for proscription may be weak

another excellent piece from @davidallengreen.bsky.social on support for Palestine Action not being 'terrorism' www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

Conor Gearty obituary A skilled and persuasive human rights lawyer who fought for civil liberties in the face of over-reaching anti-terror law

Conor Gearty obituary - The Guardian

www.theguardian.com/law/2025/sep...