Like tartiflette! Weirdly on reflection, I'm more likely to make that served just as you say during the summer than dauphinoise.
03.11.2025 17:45 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0@peatworrier.bsky.social
Prolixity from Dr Andrew Tickell. Law & Scottish politics. Senior lecturer in law at GCU Law, Jacobin scribbler, Sunday National columnist, and jaded flâneur.
Like tartiflette! Weirdly on reflection, I'm more likely to make that served just as you say during the summer than dauphinoise.
03.11.2025 17:45 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0🍂 As the nights are now officially "fair drawing in," it feels like it is time to whip up the first dauphinoise potatoes and spiced red cabbage of the season (although probably not at the same time...)
03.11.2025 17:15 — 👍 27 🔁 0 💬 4 📌 0Britain’s tarnished royal house has only done what became necessary and expedient after multiple attempts to temporise their way out of it, with the minimum possible concessions. 
www.thenational.scot/politics/255...
⚖️  Having received royal assent today, the Victims, Witnesses & Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 is now finally law. Most provisions will only come into force when ministers make commencement orders - including the new complainer anonymity rules.
www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2025/12/...
Can the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry recover? From the weekend, I reflect on a week in which Lord Bracadale announces his shock resignation in advance of judicial review accusing him of "apparent bias" and all the senior lawyers to the Bayoh inquiry also resign... www.thenational.scot/politics/255...
27.10.2025 21:12 — 👍 4 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 0Following Lord Bracadale's resignation as chair, all senior and junior counsel working on the Sheku Bayoh inquiry have now resigned. The question now must be, can the whole process be rescued?
24.10.2025 11:36 — 👍 7 🔁 6 💬 4 📌 1📺 On STV's Scotland Tonight this week, GCU Law's Dr Nick McKerrell joined the programme to discuss the resignation of Lord Bracadale as the chair of the Sheku Bayoh Inquiry and the consequences for the future. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae4u...
24.10.2025 09:26 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0This one has been bubbling under for a while. The owners of Brel in Ashton Lane are suing trade union Unite for defamation. The Sheriff Appeal Court rejects United's challenge to the Sheriff's decision the social media posts were defamatory. www.scotcourts.gov.uk/media/fapib5...
22.10.2025 11:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Lord Bracadale has resigned as chair of the Sheku Bayoh inquiry. The Court of Session was due to hear a judicial review on whether he had demonstrated apparent bias next month. www.shekubayohinquiry.scot/sites/defaul...
21.10.2025 15:49 — 👍 4 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 1Appeal Court quashes two summary convictions after Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission referral www.scotcourts.gov.uk/media/40akpl...
20.10.2025 12:52 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0He could mix it up and go with "anhidrosis" for House motto, in deference to the Greek dad.
19.10.2025 15:56 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0I thought exile, the Tower, or the Malmsey butt were more traditional ways for English kings to dispose of unwanted royal brothers – but last week we saw a new innovation. www.thenational.scot/politics/255...
19.10.2025 15:07 — 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 3 📌 0🧑🍳 Tonight, I am mostly slow-cooking lamb shank with garlic, onion, wine, bay, oregano and tomato - adding orzo pasta at th close to sook up and reduce the braising liquid.
17.10.2025 19:30 — 👍 11 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0"No formality please. Do just address me informally as Your Grace the Most Worshipful Megadux of Kinlochbervie and Bonk."
17.10.2025 18:40 — 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0A very British absurdity, that you can apparently release a press statement saying you are "no longer using your titles", and simultanously sign it "Prince Andrew." Mr Mountbatten-Windsor would surely do.
17.10.2025 18:24 — 👍 178 🔁 46 💬 21 📌 4Down in London, the Court of Appeal rejects the Home Secretary's challenge to the decision to grant permission for the proscription of Palestine Action to be challenged by way of judicial review. www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...
17.10.2025 15:02 — 👍 12 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0Concerning new report published by the UK Anti-SLAPP coalition today: "From Survivor to Defendant: How the law is being weaponised to silence victims of sexual violence." 
antislapp.uk/2025/10/16/s...
We've spent 5 years working to reform the law on reporting restrictions in Scotland, trying to align public conceptions- that complainers have automatic rights to lifelong anonymity unless they choose to waive it- with the legal rules which apply in this jurisdiction. 
www.slsa.ac.uk/post/anonymi...
I like a schnitzel in almost all forms - but am pleasantly surprised how chicken cordon bleu turned out, with a bit of smoke from a slice of ham through the middle, and more from layering German smoked cheese inside before giving the whole thing its egg, flour and panko jaikit.
14.10.2025 20:58 — 👍 7 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 1From the paper this weekend. On the many ironies of folk complaining about state overreach on privacy, property and freedom of expression - who simultaneously want to scrap the ECHR.  
www.thenational.scot/politics/255...
After almost 50 years, the Scottish Government is finally revisiting the rights of children and parents to opt out of religious observance in schools. But somehow, ministers have managed to bungle what ought to be a basic question of children's rights. www.thenational.scot/news/2551810...
07.10.2025 10:38 — 👍 11 🔁 6 💬 3 📌 0📢 Fancy coming to work with us at GCU Law? We've just advertised a new full time and open ended opportunity for a new colleague to join us as a lecturer in law. Full details about the position here: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOX845/l...
06.10.2025 20:03 — 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0I've also written more academically about this phenomenon and the inevitable auction effects of passing legislation promising special recognition. Can you blame campaigners for asking “If MSPs feel retail workers’ pain, why won’t they feel mine”? researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/en/publicati...
03.10.2025 11:40 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0I did ponder sticking in evidence about it, but it would be a doomed grumping exercise I reckoned!
03.10.2025 11:20 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0So Holyrood has unanumously decided to pass legislation to make it a criminal offence to steal dogs. Exactly how recriminalising behaviour which is already criminal "strengthens the law" is a question for the philosophers. A throwback rant from 2023: andrewtickell.co.uk/2023/09/03/o...
03.10.2025 11:13 — 👍 17 🔁 3 💬 3 📌 0Should it be any mitigation, for someone who kills their partner to say "I just snapped when I found out they cheated on me"? As Scots law stands, "provocation by sexual infidelity" reduces murder to culpable homicide. This archaic doctrine needs repealed.
www.thenational.scot/comment/2550...
The Scottish Law Commission recommend significant reforms to the Scots law of homicide. www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/files/3017/5...
25.09.2025 09:26 — 👍 8 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0A... remarkable new @walesgovernance.bsky.social ITV Wales @yougov.co.uk poll of Welsh voting intentions for the next Senedd election (changes since May)
- Plaid 30% (-)
- Reform 29% (+4)
- Labour 14% (-4)
- Cons 11% (-2)
- Lib Dems 6% (-1)
- Green 6% (+1)
- Other 4% (+2) 
#Senedd #devolution
A wheen of amendments to be considered in Holyrood this week, as the Victims, Witnesses and Criminal Justice Bill reaches its third and final stage of scrutiny. www.parliament.scot/-/media/file...
16.09.2025 07:32 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0"The grotesque chaos of a Labour government - a Labour government..."
www.thenational.scot/politics/254...