@warmovietheatre.com bridge month? Sure there is a bridge in Excalibur!

‘Absolute hell’: Irish man with valid US work permit held by Ice since September Seamus Culleton has been in a detention facility in Texas for nearly five months despite having no criminal record

Kerryman who is married, living and working legally in the United States for >20 years has been incarcerated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) since September 2025.

Profoundly disturbing report by Karlin Lillington @klillington.bsky.social
www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...

Never in doubt…. great start to 2026!!!

Yessss!

What a Christmas present that was 🔥🔥

#forthepride

Series 3 of the Northern Ireland cop show Blue Lights ends tonight - I've written about why it's so good but why the portrayal of intelligence or the military on TV struggles to match it t.co/IACsiRgTaX

On the edge My week in the NHS

I’d rather Sam did not do so much participant observation in hospitals but when he does he gets more insights into the problems of the NHS (this post is free). samf.substack.com/p/on-the-edg...?

A bonus point win on the road 🏉🏉

#forthepride

Ice cream vans only play music to warn people they have run out of ice cream, going to come back to haunt me at some point.

A short personal announcement from me:

Looking ahead to the incoming season, I would love to provide a publication/TV company with analysis on upcoming fixtures.

Can do it in English or as Gaeilge; whichever suits.

Have done so for Tuairisc and TG4 in the past.

Shares welcome.

Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr: ‘We’ve got to not talk ourselves into a spiral of collapse’ The president of the English and Welsh courts on tackling record backlogs, defending frightened judges — and being the first woman in the role

Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr: ‘We’ve got to not talk ourselves into a spiral of collapse’ https://on.ft.com/3G8oMw5

New top judges Birss becomes chancellor; six new appeal judges appointed

Lord Justice Birss has been appointed to succeed Sir Julian Flaux as chancellor of the High Court of England and Wales from 1 November. Six High Court judges are being promoted to the Court of Appeal.

rozenberg.substack.com/p/new-top-ju...

In this age of AI and false citations, any mention of a legal case or public legal instrument should hyperlink to the original.

Just as previous generations used footnotes and citations, we should routinely link back to sources.

3⃣ FROM 3⃣

#forthepride

Boring point, but shouldn't the fact a case is made up become apparent when preparing authorities bundles?

There is still time to send in your application for the Paris Bar Exchange 🇫🇷

There are four places available and the exchange is open to all Inns of Court. Candidates will be granted a stipend of £2,000 from the Pegasus Scholarship fund to assist with their expenses.

Outstanding result!

Keep out, judge tells MPs It’s dangerous to criticise judgments you don’t understand, chief justice says

“It is really dangerous to make any criticism of a judgment without a full understanding of the facts and the law,” the lady chief justice of England and Wales said at her annual news conference yesterday.

Read my analysis.

rozenberg.substack.com/p/keep-out-j...

Blood donor appeal There are spaces to donate blood at some of our city centre venues.

🚨🚨🚨

(Don't usually do this kinda thing BUT)

BLOOD STOCKS ARE CRITICALLY LOW.

If you can, give blood. ❤️

www.blood.co.uk/news-and-cam...

Yvette Cooper announcing my appointment as interim Prevent Commissioner, with immediate effect t.co/DlbRIczndQ?s...

The "Lettuce before Action" trilogy on the Truss libel threat to Starmer

(Substack version)

The initial close reading: emptycity.substack.com/p/a-close-lo...

The more considered take-down: emptycity.substack.com/p/why-the-tr...

The final piece of evidence:
emptycity.substack.com/p/a-third-an...

A big win to start the new year

#forthepride

Really good episode (of course they all are).

NEW

A close look at Truss's legal threat to Starmer

The former Prime Minister has sent a glorious but seemingly hopeless cease-and-desist letter

By me

Substack: emptycity.substack.com/p/a-close-lo...

Personal blog: davidallengreen.com/2025/01/a-cl...

With December crime stats for London (Metropolitan Police) published today, I've had a quick look at homicide trends since 2003. Provisionally, the 105 homicides in 2024 was the lowest annual total since 2014 and second lowest in the last 22 years. #crimestats

Elon Musk shows the perils of populism Politicians must set clear boundaries or they will be taken to a very dark place.

There are votes to be won by appealing to the populists but eventually you have to draw a line or you will be taken to a very dark place. My @newstatesman.com piece on why Elon Musk provides a cautionary tale for parties of the right. www.newstatesman.com/comment/2025...

Needed that, great result!

Confirms my view of WhatsApp

This is an over simplification & one small cog, but Dec 2019 Blackfriars Crown Court closed, Crown Court backlog at that point pre-COVID and CBA action already 38,000. I read today it now has permission to be turned into student accommodation, backlog 73,000. Magistrates Court backlog 333,000….

Top judge warns of 'drastic' situation in courts The previous government left courts in financial limbo by failing to settle their funding, lady chief justice says.

For those who watch this type of coverage, for a serving LCJ of England and Wales to say this, is extraordinary. This is as close as one could properly get to judges entering the political arena (and justifiably challenging) current government policy. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...