Alan Greene

20-20 and The Hundred are a FPTP vote count.

Test match cricket is England's equivalent of an Irish PRSTV vote count.

a pig with wings is flying in the sky . ALT: a pig with wings is flying in the sky .

Jim Allister speaking sense?

Jim Allister flags a key problem with non-jury trials and one which particularly afflicts the Special Criminal Court in the south.

Trans girls banned from joining Girlguiding Girls’ adventure charity says it made decision after seeking legal advice in wake of supreme court ruling on gender

Hard to read this and not feel a flare of righteous fury at the absolute cruelty that underpins the anti-trans movement.

Just diabolical to force a tiny number of girls and young women out because you've let your twitter algorithm convince you they're dangerous.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

This issue was addressed obliquely, and unconvincingly by the ECtHR in Donohoe v Ireland in the context of belief evidence provisions in the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1972.

Key concerns the minority (which I was one of) had with non-jury trials was the fact that a judge, who would be the ultimate finder of fact, is potentially exposed to highly prejudicial material when making decisions as to the admissibility of evidence.

From 2021-23, I was part of an Independent Review Group examining aspects of Ireland's counter-terrorism legislation, including the non-jury Special Criminal Court. British based lawyers may find parts of our report dealing with non-jury trials interesting.
www.oasareview.ie/wp-content/u...

Govt to introduce legislation to fast-track key projects The Government is set to introduce emergency legislation to fast-track key projects through the planning process under a plan Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers will outline to the Cabinet.

This is also not "emergency legislation"; again because it is to effect permanent change.

www.rte.ie/news/2025/12...

But it could have a huge effect on things like a judge seeing evidence they then declare inadmissible and having to somehow put it "out of their minds" when deciding their verdict.
It's something they're going to have to address and it's a major issue I have with the Irish Special Criminal Court.

I think the issue is that civil law countries have different rules regarding the overall trial process, not just juries-- it's one variable amongst many.

So a question for David Lammy and defenders of his policy: When the backlog of cases is cleared, will jury trial be restored?
If not, then it isn't an emergency measure so stop invoking 'emergency' or a 'temporary crisis' to justify permanent changes.

The language of "emergency" is often used to justify urgent permanent changes. But if they're permanent then they're not, by definition, emergency. 'Emergency' implies the restoration of the status quo ex ante once the threat/crisis is defeated.

Deputy PM David Lammy set to announce jury trial reforms The changes will restrict the right to a jury trial in a bid to reduce the backlog of cases.

If the abolition of trial by jury is an emergency measure to clear the backlog of cases then it ought to, by definition, be temporary. Otherwise, it's a clear rejection of the value of jury trials.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

From the country that brought you Brexit and Prime Minister Boris Johnson comes a new abomination in Public opinion...

Now available for pre-order; forthcoming April 2026.
global.oup.com/academic/pro...

I listened to that too and I think that their discussion focused more on why the Parliament Acts procedure wouldn't be used (delay for a year) rather than mentioning the Salisbury Convention.

Thanks for sharing.
On this issue of workers' rights, however, I'm not so sure it's an issue of the Lords acting unconstitutionally as it is a government looking for the opportunity to drop a manifesto commitment it wasn't completely wedded to.

Labour's argument that it cannot get its workers rights bill provisions regarding day 1 rights through the House of Lords doesn't add up. It's explicitly mentioned in its 2024 manifesto so the Lords should be bound by the Salisbury Convention.

cookie monster from sesame street sitting on a table with a cookie in his hand ALT: cookie monster from sesame street sitting on a table with a cookie in his hand

Me waiting for Irish journalists to label this government 'populist' for attacking judicial review...

Title panel: CHRISTMAS… AT THE BBC. The Traitors Christmas Special: Who in the BBC Boardroom is trying to bring down the gaff from within? [Image: The Traitors scene with Claudia Winkleman looking like “ooh-er” while the BBC board sit at a table looking suspiciously at each other] Apologising To The People Who Want To Destroy Us At Christmas: A festive extravaganza of self-flagellation before our enemies [Image: A cozy fireside scene with Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch standing, while at their feet lots of BBC employees are kneeling before them and begging for forgiveness]. Donald's Big Distraction: Heartwarming Julia Donaldson animation in which a dragon sues the BBC to draw his friends' attention onto something else [Image: Julia Donaldson’s ‘Zog’ with a Donald Trump wig, holding up a lawyer’s letter to show his dragon friends while trying to block their view of a pile of box files and computer drives some with ‘Epstein’ written on them]. The King's Speech: We let Nigel Farage tell you the BBC is left wing as if that's some kind of fact [Image: Nigel Farage as the King delivering his Christmas speech to camera]. A Ghost Story for Christmas: A venerable British institution is haunted by Boris Johnson's appointees [Image: A BBC studio with a window, outside in the dark snowy night a spectral apparition in the form of Robbie Gibb taps at the window and wails “I want to destroooy you”] Christmas Labour Inertia-Time: Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy present four hours of total silence from under their desks [Image: Show them both under their desks holding up glasses of sherry] Rightward Drift Christmas Special: A bonanza of trust-corrosion with confected immigration panic and Reform coverage [Image: A computer and a smartphone in a cute snowy scene, both displaying the BBC News website with multiple headlines and LIVE feeds and and BREAKING NEWS stories headlined: “IMMIGRANTS? IMMIGRANTS? IMMIGRANTS? IMMIGRANTS!”] [Ends]

Christmas at the BBC

incredible that VCs have collectively strategised on the threat of the far-right and democratic backsliding, and somehow the lesson from Columbia, Harvard, UCSF etc is that appeasement works

The worst thing about being a Spurs fan is that you don't get to laugh at what is objectively funny.

Three academics innfront of a Maynooth School of Law and Criminology sign

Great workshop on the Irish Political Constitution today, co-organised with @laurcah.bsky.social and @alangreene.bsky.social Some great papers, planning on a special issue of the Irish Jurist in 2026. Thanks to @maynoothlaw.bsky.social and the NUI for their support.

Palestine Action like the Suffragettes, court told Lawyers for the group say the government's ban is unprecedented, as they launch a legal challenge.

Part of my evidence put before the court today attests to the unique nature of the proscription based on some research I conducted, and part speaks to the chilling effect on academic teaching and research in the area

www.bbc.com/news/article...

If the Palestine Action case does nothing else (and you'd need a lot of faith in the power of rights in security contexts to think it will) it spotlights once again the lamentable mess of Closed Material Procedures that the UK Govt has so far gotten away with:

www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...

Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases Only cases of alleged murder, rape or manslaughter will be decided by a jury under new proposals to cut court backlogs.

The UK has gone from "We need to enshrine the right to jury trial in a British Bill of Rights" to "We need to abolish jury trial" in the space of about 3 years.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

He's way ahead of the Brits on this one! www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-...