James Chalmers
@jameschalmers.bsky.social
Regius Professor of Law at the University of Glasgow School of Law. Nothing should be inferred from the absence of unnecessary disclaimers on this profile.
This made me realise realise I can only very vaguely remember what my institution’s rules about mask-wearing in class were and how long they lasted because - it just wasn’t that big an imposition? Imagine still railing about them years later?
The reason this Harvard history professor decided he was done with one of the best and most privileged jobs in the world was, in his own words, because he was forced to lecture in a mask during peak Covid.
I’m not making this up.
I’m not making this up.
December 31, 2025 at 12:16 PM
This made me realise realise I can only very vaguely remember what my institution’s rules about mask-wearing in class were and how long they lasted because - it just wasn’t that big an imposition? Imagine still railing about them years later?
Reposted by James Chalmers
Part of the problem is that so many people are allergic to making a non-technocratic argument. If this citizen, whose claim to citizenship is 'because my mother is', why not anyone else? The question that broadcasters need to ask and the argument the government needs to make.
It is happening with zero scrutiny. The government will not push back. The broadcasters will not interrogate. It is unbelievable how easily it is all sliding away.
You can joke about this but, as things stand, the likelihood is it will happen. We should be absolutely terrified. We are three years or so away from our democracy coming to an end.
December 30, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Part of the problem is that so many people are allergic to making a non-technocratic argument. If this citizen, whose claim to citizenship is 'because my mother is', why not anyone else? The question that broadcasters need to ask and the argument the government needs to make.
Reposted by James Chalmers
"The perfect conclusion to a wonderful trilogy, and like its predecessors it will lift spirits and warm hearts."
Many thanks to "Scots Whay Hae!" for naming Upon A White Horse in the top ten non-fiction books of 2025. www.scotswhayhae.com/post/as-a-ma...
Many thanks to "Scots Whay Hae!" for naming Upon A White Horse in the top ten non-fiction books of 2025. www.scotswhayhae.com/post/as-a-ma...
As A Matter Of Fact: Scots Whay Hae!’s Ten Best Non-fiction Books Of 2025...
There were some fascinating non-fiction books published over the last 12 months, and it was a tricky job to whittle a list down to a handy top ten, but we just about managed it. The list below feature...
www.scotswhayhae.com
December 30, 2025 at 8:39 PM
"The perfect conclusion to a wonderful trilogy, and like its predecessors it will lift spirits and warm hearts."
Many thanks to "Scots Whay Hae!" for naming Upon A White Horse in the top ten non-fiction books of 2025. www.scotswhayhae.com/post/as-a-ma...
Many thanks to "Scots Whay Hae!" for naming Upon A White Horse in the top ten non-fiction books of 2025. www.scotswhayhae.com/post/as-a-ma...
Reposted by James Chalmers
Having had a day to think through everything about El-Fattah, here's where I stand. Yes, it's possible to believe all of these things at once! In fact, it really shouldn't be that hard.
December 29, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Having had a day to think through everything about El-Fattah, here's where I stand. Yes, it's possible to believe all of these things at once! In fact, it really shouldn't be that hard.
Home Alone 2, for a culturally, historically and aesthetically significant cameo. Many people are saying this!
Many of our followers and film lovers are used to seeing big news in December about films selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Our announcement is delayed by a few weeks, but we aim to announce new selections to the registry in late January. Stay tuned!
December 27, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Home Alone 2, for a culturally, historically and aesthetically significant cameo. Many people are saying this!
Back home for Christmas and impressed by the local council’s efforts to keep the town’s elderly population mentally alert and engaged [fiendishly complicated multiple bin sorting and collection schedule with special Christmas adjustments]
December 26, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Back home for Christmas and impressed by the local council’s efforts to keep the town’s elderly population mentally alert and engaged [fiendishly complicated multiple bin sorting and collection schedule with special Christmas adjustments]
How I’m turning up to the Bluesky Christmas party.
December 23, 2025 at 11:10 PM
How I’m turning up to the Bluesky Christmas party.
Being only aware of Chris Rea through a few songs, I was not expecting lines like “2005’s Blue Guitars was 11 CDs and 137 tracks long”.
Despite his knack for slick pop, the principled and passionate Chris Rea never took the easy road
The late musician bristled against his record companies, his producers and fame itself – but that friction ignited both his AOR hits and his raw, spirited take on the blues
www.theguardian.com
December 23, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Being only aware of Chris Rea through a few songs, I was not expecting lines like “2005’s Blue Guitars was 11 CDs and 137 tracks long”.
Reposted by James Chalmers
The letter raises ECHR/HRA protections for right to free elections in Art 3 Protocol 1, ECHR. May be a good political point, but difficulty with it as a legal argument is that the text is interpreted as excluding local elections - outwith scope as not about the 'choice of the legislature'.
Liberal Democrats write to human rights watchdog over election delays
Liberal Democrats write to human rights watchdog over election delays
The government has indicated it would postpone elections if requested by local authorities.
www.bbc.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:26 PM
The letter raises ECHR/HRA protections for right to free elections in Art 3 Protocol 1, ECHR. May be a good political point, but difficulty with it as a legal argument is that the text is interpreted as excluding local elections - outwith scope as not about the 'choice of the legislature'.
Reposted by James Chalmers
Who is the constituency for “make it easier to fire people but tax business and workers more?” It’s as if they ran focus groups with a target of getting everyone to agree but forgot to specify they meant agree *positively*
I have my criticisms of *aspects* of the employment rights package, but this is an insane proposal, both in policy and party management terms
December 20, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Who is the constituency for “make it easier to fire people but tax business and workers more?” It’s as if they ran focus groups with a target of getting everyone to agree but forgot to specify they meant agree *positively*
Reposted by James Chalmers
New substack: why so many people are content with economic stagnation: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/wallowing-...
Wallowing in poverty
Why we're not bothered about economic growth.
chrisdillow.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
New substack: why so many people are content with economic stagnation: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/wallowing-...
“Actually, the centre is named after the John F Kennedy Memorial, not John F Kennedy, so ‘The Donald Trump and The John F Kennedy Memorial Centre’ is correct.”
December 20, 2025 at 12:10 AM
“Actually, the centre is named after the John F Kennedy Memorial, not John F Kennedy, so ‘The Donald Trump and The John F Kennedy Memorial Centre’ is correct.”
Clear your inbox before Christmas with this One Neat Trick [realising no-one is actually going to thank you for replying to that email before the break]
December 19, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Clear your inbox before Christmas with this One Neat Trick [realising no-one is actually going to thank you for replying to that email before the break]
Reposted by James Chalmers
I took one for the team and I read the memoirs Nicolas Sarkozy wrote about his twenty (20) days in prison: observer.co.uk/news/interna...
December 19, 2025 at 9:32 AM
I took one for the team and I read the memoirs Nicolas Sarkozy wrote about his twenty (20) days in prison: observer.co.uk/news/interna...
“Investigations reporter Katherine Long tried to convince Claudius it was a Soviet vending machine from 1962, living in the basement of Moscow State University. After hours—and more than 140 back-and-forth messages—Long got Claudius to embrace its communist roots.”
late breaking entry for "most incredible article of the year" - the WSJ installed an AI powered vending machine in their office and ended up with someone having the AI order it a playstation and a betta fish that they now have as a mascot in their newsroom archive.is/I1lyh
archive.is
December 18, 2025 at 7:08 PM
“Investigations reporter Katherine Long tried to convince Claudius it was a Soviet vending machine from 1962, living in the basement of Moscow State University. After hours—and more than 140 back-and-forth messages—Long got Claudius to embrace its communist roots.”
Reposted by James Chalmers
The draft s 30 order: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2026/9...
December 18, 2025 at 12:53 PM
The draft s 30 order: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2026/9...
Depending on what you read,the non-existent quotes in the Peggie judgment seem to be described as either an everyday trivial error or a direct invalidation of the ruling, neither of which seems right. But this is absurd: investigate the judge because he wrote “for” instead of “all” and used some zs?
December 17, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Depending on what you read,the non-existent quotes in the Peggie judgment seem to be described as either an everyday trivial error or a direct invalidation of the ruling, neither of which seems right. But this is absurd: investigate the judge because he wrote “for” instead of “all” and used some zs?
Earlier today I came across an observation by a senior English judge in 2008 that it might be necessary to do something about the "internet generation", when serving as jurors, finding it unfamiliar to have information presented verbally rather than in text, and that now seems charmingly quaint.
i have said this before but if you are actually interested in influencing people beyond a narrow circle of too-online journalists you will be making direct to camera videos on tiktok, instagram and youtube. if you primarily post on text-based social media then you're just dicking around.
December 15, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Earlier today I came across an observation by a senior English judge in 2008 that it might be necessary to do something about the "internet generation", when serving as jurors, finding it unfamiliar to have information presented verbally rather than in text, and that now seems charmingly quaint.
I haven't seen anyone mention it, so it might be an appropriate time to point out that - as is of course only right - the volume control on BBC's iPlayer goes to 11.
December 15, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I haven't seen anyone mention it, so it might be an appropriate time to point out that - as is of course only right - the volume control on BBC's iPlayer goes to 11.
Reposted by James Chalmers
Interesting piece.
The points about human rights/EU law have force. But for me, the central problem with the FWS judgment is more fundamental. It strikes me as implausible that this is what Parliament intended, without spelling it out, only 6 years after the GRA, and in an Act dealing with equality.
The points about human rights/EU law have force. But for me, the central problem with the FWS judgment is more fundamental. It strikes me as implausible that this is what Parliament intended, without spelling it out, only 6 years after the GRA, and in an Act dealing with equality.
So much of the commentary on the FWS judgment has been driven by reflexive responses to the outcome, but there are so many gaps and leaps in its reasoning that it will spawn litigation for years to come - @aoifemod.bsky.social and I flag some failings in judge craft:
nilq.qub.ac.uk/index.php/ni...
nilq.qub.ac.uk/index.php/ni...
December 15, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Interesting piece.
The points about human rights/EU law have force. But for me, the central problem with the FWS judgment is more fundamental. It strikes me as implausible that this is what Parliament intended, without spelling it out, only 6 years after the GRA, and in an Act dealing with equality.
The points about human rights/EU law have force. But for me, the central problem with the FWS judgment is more fundamental. It strikes me as implausible that this is what Parliament intended, without spelling it out, only 6 years after the GRA, and in an Act dealing with equality.
As Dick Van Dyke turns 100, it’s important to give thanks to the sea creatures who made that possible.
Porpoises rescue Dick Van Dyke
Mary Poppins star feared death after apparently falling asleep on his surfboard but friendly sea creatures pushed him to shore
www.theguardian.com
December 13, 2025 at 12:31 PM
As Dick Van Dyke turns 100, it’s important to give thanks to the sea creatures who made that possible.
An academic disliked an Oxford Very Short Introduction (145 pages) in his field so much that he wrote a 200 page book review attacking it. www.pierre-legrand.com/ewExternalFi...
December 11, 2025 at 8:56 PM
An academic disliked an Oxford Very Short Introduction (145 pages) in his field so much that he wrote a 200 page book review attacking it. www.pierre-legrand.com/ewExternalFi...
Noticeable that most news outlets are reporting the Peggie/Fife tribunal decision as a victory for Peggie, while Sex Matters have put out a statement attacking the decision; the tenor of coverage might well change between today and tomorrow’s press.
December 8, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Noticeable that most news outlets are reporting the Peggie/Fife tribunal decision as a victory for Peggie, while Sex Matters have put out a statement attacking the decision; the tenor of coverage might well change between today and tomorrow’s press.