Peter Sullivan: wrongly gaoled for 38 years by junk science and a complacent justice system Just before midnight on Friday August 1st 1986 Diane Sindall, a 21 year old florist, ran out of petrol on a Birkenhead roundabout. She got out of her car and went to look for a 24 hour petrol stati…

Blog by my favourite go-to barrister @barristerblog.bsky.social , on the use of biased "experts" at trial. This relates to a murder case 38 years ago. Resonates with me re my current appeal, also Lucy Letby.

barristerblogger.com/2025/10/08/p...

We make it with honey that has seen better days.

Membrillo!

British Synagogue Attacker Pledged Allegiance to ISIS, Police Say

The Manchester synagogue attacker called 999 and pledged allegiance to Isis before being shot dead, the police have said

His tactics mirrored advice issued by Isis through official propaganda on the use of vehicles and knives, and announcing allegiance before death
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/w...

On China, the Official Secrets Act and ‘enemies’: Is the Prime Minister wrong? The Prime Minister has claimed that his government’s hands are tied in relation to whether China constituted an ‘enemy’ for the purpose of a now-dropped criminal prosecution under…

New post | On China, the Official Secrets Act and 'enemies': Is the Prime Minister wrong?
publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/10/08/o...

Peter Sullivan: wrongly gaoled for 38 years by junk science and a complacent justice system Just before midnight on Friday August 1st 1986 Diane Sindall, a 21 year old florist, ran out of petrol on a Birkenhead roundabout. She got out of her car and went to look for a 24 hour petrol stati…

The dreadful case of Peter Sullivan has had the attention it deserves. It was one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history and I've written about it. barristerblogger.com/2025/10/08/p...

This is, objectively, insane.

Manchester Synagogue Terrorist Was Under Investigation for Rape

The Manchester synagogue attacker was under investigation for rape and had been released on police bail

Jihad al-Shamie also had a criminal record, but the offences were unrelated to terrorism and he was not a "subject of interest" for the security services
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/w...

The former leader of Reform in Wales, Nathan Gill, has been convicted of taking bribes from Oleg Voloshyn to promote the interests of Putin - the leader Farage said he most admires.

Here’s Farage with Voloshyn’s wife.

If Gill had been a close associate of Jeremy Corbyn this might be bigger news.

Today is 21 September, traditionally the date equidistant between the dates when Aston Villa score their two league goals each year.

The New York Times has now published a document which sets out the government’s basis for the proscription. This is the “open” version of the MI5 assessment that has been placed before the courts in litigation challenging the proscription. The judges would also see a “closed” version with material not to be placed in the public domain. One hopes the “closed” version is a far more impressive document than the one published, which is a flimsy and unconvincing piece of work. The assessment even admits—twice—that most of the activity of Palestine Action cannot be called terrorism. The document overall reads as if it has been compiled backwards, intending to justify a conclusion that needed to be reached. If so, it will not be the first intelligence document to have been created in such a way. The assessment relies on the group having caused “serious” property damage, which is the relevant statutory test. The problem here is that the spraying of paint and graffiti by the group does not meet the threshold of seriousness. The document also relies on “open source” estimates of the cost of damage which, if one looks at the cited sources, trace back to a claim which the police themselves put to arrested protesters in interview. As such there is a certain circularity: the state is relying on the state claiming the damage is serious.

NEW

Has the government overreached in using terrorism law against Palestine Action?

A disclosed MI5 document indicates that the basis for proscription may be weak

By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

NI Court of Appeal quashes convictions of men accused of plan to bomb RUC fooball club. Votes in NICA were 2-1. In E&W Court of Appeal (Crim) there are almost never dissenters. Is the practice different in NI? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In the summary, the court says: “We should say at the outset what this appeal hearing is not about: it is not concerned with the merits of Government policy in relation to the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers, in hotels or otherwise.” The “not” was even underlined, which is rare in a judicial document. The court could have put the “not” in bold and italics, flashing on the page. It would not have made any difference. Few are interested in what the case was really about. They are interested in the stories they want to hear and want to tell about the case. The actual judicial reasoning is irrelevant. None of this is to say that there is no inherent value in providing access to reliable and accurate legal information. Such provision is a public good and it should be done regardless of any perceived lack of utility or even effect. Perhaps online commentary by bloggers and others is also a public good, despite the online headwinds going against them. But what these two (and many other) meme cases show is that free and ready access to accurate and reliable information is not by itself a panacea. This is true for medicine and science and other things as well as law. People are rarely interested in the facts, even when they protest that they are. People instead prefer stories that affirm their views of themselves, and of others, and of the world around them. The challenge for those who want to place the discussion of law and policy (and other things) on a sounder basis is to find ways to make people care about the actualité of the case rather than the meme case.

NEW

Meme cases and the failure of public legal information

The discussions around cases such as Lucy Connolly and the Epping asylum hotel show ready access to accurate and reliable material is not enough

By me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

Well they haven't used a public communications network, so even if their message is of an "indecent, menacing or grossly offensive nature" (which it isn't) they're in the clear as far as S.127 of the Communications Act is concerned.

Inside the AG’s Conviction Review Bureau: 5 Takeaways A once-touted statewide conviction review unit lacks independence, authority, and transparency — and Albany hasn’t moved to fix it.

nysfocus.com/2025/09/16/a...

this is like. calling your teacher mom x1000 😬😬😬

Hope I'm not too late to help. Best of luck to her!

Thanks Bertha!

Rumpole is very accurate, or was. Things are a bit different now.

I think it's missed out some of the screenshots, but for some reason not all of them.

I did a thread on twitter. I am hoping to do a blog on it, but haven't had time yet.

Thread By @Barristerblog - Birkenhead man freed after 38 years as C.. Birkenhead man freed after 38 years as Court of Appeal declares conviction unsafe httpstconeWoxBQnydPeter Sullivan was gaoled for life in 1987 with a

Sorry, the Sullivan thread was here, but I've never tried this before. unrollnow.com/status/19223...

Will Lucy Connolly win her appeal against sentence? Lucy Connolly’s appeal against sentence was heard on 15th May. Somewhat unusually for an appeal against sentence she was not given an immediate decision. The three judges hearing the case have rese…

No idea why it says you need to sign up Carole, and I did post it here. Anyway here it is. Judgment is being handed down at 10.30 this morning. barristerblogger.com/2025/05/18/w...

Will Lucy Connolly win her appeal against sentence? Lucy Connolly’s appeal against sentence was heard on 15th May. Somewhat unusually for an appeal against sentence she was not given an immediate decision. The three judges hearing the case have rese…

Will Lucy Connolly win her appeal against sentence? My latest post. barristerblogger.com/2025/05/18/w...

Miliband to ban Chinese ‘slave-trade’ solar panels Opposition from Labour MPs has forced a ban on panels linked to Uighur slave labour, putting about 40% of Britain’s solar industry at risk

I'm sure we can safely rely on the Chinese to tell us if slaves were used in the making of the solar panels.
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Pope dies.

Genius!

Trump's insane tariffs have started a cascade of economic & political consequences & eventually to a 3rd attempt at impeachment, predicts Niall Ferguson. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...