Gayle Frances Larkin

When you look at *why* these 'algorithms' were originally intended, why are you surprised at the lengths these conscienceless 'people' will descend to? They're not regulated: we do what *they* say, so don't now expect miracles...

Jury trials scrapped for crimes with sentences of less than three years The reforms are being brought in to tackle unprecedented delays in the Crown Court.

Doesn’t this violate…*checks notes*… the Magna Carta? www.bbc.com/news/article...

Houses at night. Cartoon by Fougasse

Morning Bluesky.

It's because the government of the day decided to *sell* all our assets, including water, trains, and electricity, so that dividends, interest and cash are paid to foreign governments while no maintenance is ever done. This leaves us with a downtrodden mess of ...

Also some people are confused by the last line.

If you make PEAK fares very expensive, you nudge more people to cheaper OFF PEAK trains - you smooth out the peaks. The UK rail system does this extremely strongly - more so than most other European railways.

Sure, at the margin you might find ways to make it more efficient - to reduce costs, to eliminate some of the overheads privatisation caused

But privatisation is NOT the core of the problem

And WERE it all cheaper at peak hours, you'd not transport more people, but just have more overcrowding

Why do trains in the UK cost so much at peak hours?

It's mostly NOT due to privatisation

It is because the UK state has not invested enough in its network to up capacity, and even today does not subsidise operations very much

Want to be like 🇨🇭, 🇦🇹, 🇳🇱?

POUR IN MORE MONEY

Great culture can save lives. Literally.

Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard

I wonder if it's time to retire the role of "political editor" altogether

Return most of the coverage to the Economics Editor, the Health Editor, the Home Affairs team & so on.

Leave the "who-said-what-to-whom" & "what-does-it-mean-for-the-polls" to others. The BBC doesn't need to foreground this.

He's making it a talking point.

A sensible place to begin.

Failed tory MPs hypocritically join reform is hardly a surprise. Reform is the home of failed tory posturing buffoons.

I'm getting divorced, can I ask a quick question?

Today the news will be about the government's proposals for juries.

Please read this thread so as to be informed about the actual practical problems in the criminal justice system - problems which will not be solved by this misconceived and illiberal tinkering.

Every time see a US Govt spokesperson talk about the killings at sea, I am reminded of that exchange in the Big Short:

“Why are they confessing?

-They’re not confessing, they’re bragging.”

Trade: Council and Parliament strike a deal to reinforce rules on trade preferences to developing countries Council and Parliament reached a provisional deal on the revised GSP regulation, linking trade preferences for developing countries to stronger commitments on human rights, environment and migration c...

EU trade/immigration law

EU Member States and European Parliament agree on amendments to EU trade preferences for developing countries - including withdrawal of preferences in the event of insufficient readmission of migrants (in the EU's opinion)
www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

From “see how manly I am” to “a big boy did it. It wasn’t me” in under 24 hours.

Post Office scandal: Police consider corporate manslaughter charges The criminal investigation into the scandal, in which hundreds of postmasters were wrongfully convicted of theft and false accounting via the Horizon software, has been expanded to include more "perso...

Corporate manslaughter charges considered by police investigating the Post Office Horizon scandal.

Nearly 1,000 postmasters wrongly prosecuted, lives and families destroyed.

Culprits will prolong cases, escape justice.

Govt must appoint a special court to speed up the process.

Virgin Media fined £24m for leaving vulnerable customers 'at risk of harm' Ofcom has fined Virgin Media after an investigation found it had left thousands of vulnerable telecare customers at risk.

Virgin Media fined £23.8m for leaving vulnerable customers 'at risk of harm'.

Disconnected telecare customers during migration to digital landlines.

Directors must have known but put profits before people.

Execs not fined. Fines will be passed to customers. Where is the deterrent?

People living along polluted Thames file legal complaint to force water firm to act Residents claim raw sewage and poorly treated effluent as result of Thames Water’s failings are threat to health

People living along polluted Thames file legal complaint to force water firm to act.

Sewage dumping creating health hazards, bills soar, profits multiply.

Possible buyers want no penalties for dumping until after 2040.

Crisis deepened by govt refusal to nationalise, end profit motive.

Reasonable is the ultimate concept for a jury - twelve “ordinary” people. Both the use and level of force should be determined by a jury.

I do not feel juries are perfect, nor should the current system be unreformed. But simply reclassifying either way offences is not the answer.

We could quite easily and relatively cheaply guarantee all rape trials are heard within six months of reporting. This would be the appropriate situation for both the complainant and the accused.

Let’s look at assault and offences against the person. Many cases turn on the issue of reasonable force

Mr Lammy suggests that this case may delay a rape victim getting justice.

This is bullshit. Court delays are ultimately a political choice - the government choose how many courts sit, what cases are prioritised, how much to spend on investigation and prosecution. /3

David Lammy argues “is it right someone who steals an iPhone can ask for a jury trial”?

Yes. A person who allegedly steals an iPhone needs to be determined as dishonest. Dishonest is an objective comment (see Ives v Genting Casinos) and must be decided by 12 lay people. /2

There are several fine contributions on jury trial, both for and against. @barristersecret.bsky.social patiently explains why the argument they will speed things up is trite. On another perspective, @spinninghugo.bsky.social provides the case against juries. For me, it comes down to practicality. /1

BOE Cuts Banks’ Benchmark Capital Requirements Ahead of Review The Bank of England has cut its estimate of how much capital the UK’s banking sector needs for the first time in a decade, and signaled a consultation that could free up extra lending and higher payou...

BOE Cuts Banks’ Benchmark Capital Requirements.

Just as the AI bubble readies to burst, and shadow banking is running amok.

Lower buffers will reduce bank ability to absorb shocks.

Guess who will bail out banks? We haven't recovered from the last crash.
archive.ph/ivAJV

UK aims to secure agreement to rejoin Erasmus student exchange scheme Britain quit EU programme after Brexit, when Boris Johnson claimed it did not offer good value for money

UK aims to secure deal to rejoin Erasmus programme by January
www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Collective farms. Nationalised Internet. 😳

Trade preferences can be withdrawn from developing countries that do not cooperate (in the EU view) on readmission of migrants, but after a year of negotiations; this condition will not apply to the poorest countries for two years

Sharpie dulled?

Press release summary of the judgment, full text in the link

CJEU, tech law I

New judgment: owner of online marketplace is responsible for sensitive personal data placed by advertisers (in this case, false claim that a woman was offering sexual services); GDPR trumps exemption from liability under ecommerce directive curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo...