Joe Hodson
@joehodson.bsky.social
Paralegal with masters in international maritime law, interested in languages, ethics, governance, environmental protection and human rights. Mythology-loving humanist.
Pinned
Joe Hodson
@joehodson.bsky.social
· Aug 11
Greetings to all my new legal bluesky contacts! Allow me to introduce myself:
I have been the paralegal at the small but formidable London shipping disputes firm Sach Solicitors since just before the pandemic.
I am also slowly preparing to take the SQE.
I have been the paralegal at the small but formidable London shipping disputes firm Sach Solicitors since just before the pandemic.
I am also slowly preparing to take the SQE.
Deregulating the tech-vultures? *These* tech-vultures? What is the EPP smoking?
November 11, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Deregulating the tech-vultures? *These* tech-vultures? What is the EPP smoking?
Looking forward to this event tomorrow!
Reviving the Commons: The Civil Commons - Kairos share.google/3aVx0DNdXXCJ...
Reviving the Commons: The Civil Commons - Kairos share.google/3aVx0DNdXXCJ...
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Looking forward to this event tomorrow!
Reviving the Commons: The Civil Commons - Kairos share.google/3aVx0DNdXXCJ...
Reviving the Commons: The Civil Commons - Kairos share.google/3aVx0DNdXXCJ...
The further context provided in the (albeit extremely condensed) Netflix Kurukshetra show doesn't make it much better imo.
The fight is over mere succession to a throne. Both sides fight dirty, and the result is carnage and permanent erosion of humanity's honour.
The fight is over mere succession to a throne. Both sides fight dirty, and the result is carnage and permanent erosion of humanity's honour.
Similarly vibes from Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita - ghoulishly arguing that reincarnation and death's inevitability warrant a cheaper attitude towards life and death and belittling Arjuna's empathy.
Not much seems to be said about proportionality - or is that found elsewhere in the epic?
Not much seems to be said about proportionality - or is that found elsewhere in the epic?
November 9, 2025 at 12:42 PM
The further context provided in the (albeit extremely condensed) Netflix Kurukshetra show doesn't make it much better imo.
The fight is over mere succession to a throne. Both sides fight dirty, and the result is carnage and permanent erosion of humanity's honour.
The fight is over mere succession to a throne. Both sides fight dirty, and the result is carnage and permanent erosion of humanity's honour.
Frustrating to hear. I was really starting to think that Zack might be better than I had initially thought.
The really sociopathic thing would be for the West to outflank Ukraine in willingness to negotiate with Russia. It simply isn't our place to trade away their existence or security.
The really sociopathic thing would be for the West to outflank Ukraine in willingness to negotiate with Russia. It simply isn't our place to trade away their existence or security.
Polanski in negotiating with murderous dictator Putin
"It would be sociopathic behaviour to say you wouldn't negotiate with a president or a prime minister."
Polanski on working with Starmer
"Keir Starmer is not a man I would be willing to work with"
"It would be sociopathic behaviour to say you wouldn't negotiate with a president or a prime minister."
Polanski on working with Starmer
"Keir Starmer is not a man I would be willing to work with"
November 9, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Frustrating to hear. I was really starting to think that Zack might be better than I had initially thought.
The really sociopathic thing would be for the West to outflank Ukraine in willingness to negotiate with Russia. It simply isn't our place to trade away their existence or security.
The really sociopathic thing would be for the West to outflank Ukraine in willingness to negotiate with Russia. It simply isn't our place to trade away their existence or security.
Reposted by Joe Hodson
It seems pretty risky to tell people they won't see the change they want if they vote Green, given that they already voted Labour and didn't see the change they wanted.
Greens’ ‘undeliverable’ promises will let voters down, says Labour minister
Exclusive: Darren Jones says Labour has to convince young people it is ‘modern party of the future’
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:42 AM
It seems pretty risky to tell people they won't see the change they want if they vote Green, given that they already voted Labour and didn't see the change they wanted.
Reposted by Joe Hodson
1. This is a thread on freedom, and how easy it is to lose.
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
November 7, 2025 at 6:35 AM
1. This is a thread on freedom, and how easy it is to lose.
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
Over the past 2,000 years in Europe, there have been few periods and places of freedom. For much of the time we lived under highly oppressive tyrannies of various kinds, whether small or grand, local or imperial, secular or religious.🧵
Brings to mind Pascal's wager and Euthyphro's definitions of piety.
Word of the Day is ‘catchfart’ (17th century): an obsequious individual who sucks up to the boss and always follows the political wind.
November 7, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Brings to mind Pascal's wager and Euthyphro's definitions of piety.
Was at a talk on climate and investment arbitration last night and the thought struck me how ISDS is a bit like Wotan's spear in the Ring Cycle - a formidable weapon representing a bunch of world-dominating treaties, which can nonetheless be broken by the fearless!
November 6, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Was at a talk on climate and investment arbitration last night and the thought struck me how ISDS is a bit like Wotan's spear in the Ring Cycle - a formidable weapon representing a bunch of world-dominating treaties, which can nonetheless be broken by the fearless!
Reposted by Joe Hodson
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
OpenAI in Danger After Authors Suing It Gain Access to Its Internal Slack Messages
Authors and publishers, who are suing OpenAI, secured access to internal Slack messages and emails discussing the deletion of pirated books.
futurism.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:57 AM
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Reposted by Joe Hodson
🌎 A healthy planet is a human right.
The UN has now made it clear: there's no social justice on a dying planet.
Our joint blog w/ @foeint.bsky.social @opportunitygreen.org
@ercscot.bsky.social and @koldocasla.bsky.social
The UN has now made it clear: there's no social justice on a dying planet.
Our joint blog w/ @foeint.bsky.social @opportunitygreen.org
@ercscot.bsky.social and @koldocasla.bsky.social
A healthy planet, a fair society: new UN guidance links human rights and the environment | Just Fair
In December 2024, Just Fair co-ordinated a joint response from members of the UK ESCR Network to a call for evidence from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the Committee) on sustainable development. We worked with Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Opportunity Green, Dr Koldo Casla and the […]
justfair.org.uk
November 6, 2025 at 8:00 AM
🌎 A healthy planet is a human right.
The UN has now made it clear: there's no social justice on a dying planet.
Our joint blog w/ @foeint.bsky.social @opportunitygreen.org
@ercscot.bsky.social and @koldocasla.bsky.social
The UN has now made it clear: there's no social justice on a dying planet.
Our joint blog w/ @foeint.bsky.social @opportunitygreen.org
@ercscot.bsky.social and @koldocasla.bsky.social
Reposted by Joe Hodson
Zohran Mamdani polled +40% on men under 30. So we wasted all that time on all those think pieces about how we need a Joe Rogan for the left, when what we actually needed were *policies* for the left.
November 5, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Zohran Mamdani polled +40% on men under 30. So we wasted all that time on all those think pieces about how we need a Joe Rogan for the left, when what we actually needed were *policies* for the left.
Reposted by Joe Hodson
🔴 MPs are banned from been paid to give 'political advice' - but Lords can.
And guess what? Many Conservative shadow ministers in the Lords are being paid by the industries they’re meant to scrutinise.
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/the-lords-...
And guess what? Many Conservative shadow ministers in the Lords are being paid by the industries they’re meant to scrutinise.
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/the-lords-...
The Lords’ Work? How Tory Shadow Ministers Are Cashing In
Many Conservative shadow ministers in the Lords are being paid to ‘advise’ the same industries they’re meant to scrutinise.
democracyforsale.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:23 PM
🔴 MPs are banned from been paid to give 'political advice' - but Lords can.
And guess what? Many Conservative shadow ministers in the Lords are being paid by the industries they’re meant to scrutinise.
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/the-lords-...
And guess what? Many Conservative shadow ministers in the Lords are being paid by the industries they’re meant to scrutinise.
New on Democracy for Sale
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/the-lords-...
Reposted by Joe Hodson
A District Judge has cleared Tommy Robinson on a terror charge because he found Robinson had a protected belief. How does that pass the 5th limb of the Grainger test?
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
![Grainger criteria
To qualify as a 'philosophical belief' under the Equality Act, the belief must satisfy the five criteria set out at para 24 in Grainger plc v Nicholson [2010] and mirrored in the Equality and Human Rights Commission Code of Practice 2011. These are that:
The belief must be genuinely held
The belief must not simply be an opinion or viewpoint based on the present state of information available
The belief must concern a weighty and substantial aspect of human life and behaviour
The belief must attain a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance
The belief must be worthy of respect in a democratic society, not be incompatible with human dignity and not be in conflict with the fundamental rights of others.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:noqaydlcbia5upq6va2p2znw/bafkreidbknxirxpcidqg6kgd7ejugwdwzncsxcm7foh6wxc5rf5qbs6pny@jpeg)
November 4, 2025 at 7:28 PM
A District Judge has cleared Tommy Robinson on a terror charge because he found Robinson had a protected belief. How does that pass the 5th limb of the Grainger test?
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...
Divide England into smaller parts democratically capable of equality with the non-English parts. End the supermajority core vs remote periphery dynamic.
How can the UK survive when most of its member states want to leave? youtu.be/CnLkIsKxEEw?...
How can the UK survive when most of its member states want to leave?
YouTube video by Richard J Murphy
youtu.be
November 4, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Divide England into smaller parts democratically capable of equality with the non-English parts. End the supermajority core vs remote periphery dynamic.
People use and understand these terms to refer to all political fronts, not just the economic. You can't narrow the meanings of words by unilateral fiat even if that would be more useful, which I don't think is the case here.
Partly because so many formerly leftwing parties have turned to the right, there's a lot of confusion about what right and left mean in politics. I hope this helps:
The right defends economic power.
The left resists economic power.
The right defends economic power.
The left resists economic power.
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 AM
People use and understand these terms to refer to all political fronts, not just the economic. You can't narrow the meanings of words by unilateral fiat even if that would be more useful, which I don't think is the case here.
Reposted by Joe Hodson
𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 has a cover and a website!
Conceived as a companion to PwJ (Fortress, 2015), this is the first go-to introductory resource on PwP (Fortress, 2025). The publication date is set for 4 Nov 2025, just in time for SBL.
www.fortresspress.com/store/produc...
Conceived as a companion to PwJ (Fortress, 2015), this is the first go-to introductory resource on PwP (Fortress, 2025). The publication date is set for 4 Nov 2025, just in time for SBL.
www.fortresspress.com/store/produc...
Paul within Paganism: Restoring the Mediterranean Context to the Apostle
Leading and rising scholars introduce a burgeoning new approach to the study of Paul, which situates the Jewish apostle to gentiles within the wider world of ancient Mediterranean religion.
www.fortresspress.com
May 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 has a cover and a website!
Conceived as a companion to PwJ (Fortress, 2015), this is the first go-to introductory resource on PwP (Fortress, 2025). The publication date is set for 4 Nov 2025, just in time for SBL.
www.fortresspress.com/store/produc...
Conceived as a companion to PwJ (Fortress, 2015), this is the first go-to introductory resource on PwP (Fortress, 2025). The publication date is set for 4 Nov 2025, just in time for SBL.
www.fortresspress.com/store/produc...
Reposted by Joe Hodson
🚨🚨Things are just getting worse. 🧵
www.politico.eu/article/us-a...
www.politico.eu/article/us-a...
US accused of threatening EU diplomats during bid to kill green shipping rules
Negotiators at shipping talks in London were told both they and their countries could be punished unless they voted with the U.S.
www.politico.eu
November 3, 2025 at 12:07 PM
🚨🚨Things are just getting worse. 🧵
www.politico.eu/article/us-a...
www.politico.eu/article/us-a...
Reposted by Joe Hodson
Very depressing indeed. I commute and believe me, the last thing that concerns me about this horrific incident is the nationality of the perpetrators.
How depressing that they feel they must make this the headline.
November 3, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Very depressing indeed. I commute and believe me, the last thing that concerns me about this horrific incident is the nationality of the perpetrators.
"More religious societies and cultures where there was a preference for faith over science showed high levels of nature connection."
This is nuts. Science *is* the process of paying careful and methodical attention to nature, which faith circumvents more or less by definition.
This is nuts. Science *is* the process of paying careful and methodical attention to nature, which faith circumvents more or less by definition.
I've read this story five times and I literally do not know what it is trying to say.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Britain one of least ‘nature-connected’ nations in world – with Nepal the most
Others languishing near bottom of 61-country study include Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan and Spain
www.theguardian.com
November 1, 2025 at 6:13 PM
"More religious societies and cultures where there was a preference for faith over science showed high levels of nature connection."
This is nuts. Science *is* the process of paying careful and methodical attention to nature, which faith circumvents more or less by definition.
This is nuts. Science *is* the process of paying careful and methodical attention to nature, which faith circumvents more or less by definition.
A thing about royal scandals in the UK - each one adds a new layer of irony to the scene where the horrified Macbeth sees the vision of the line of Banquo's heirs stretching out to the crack of doom.
“What were the consequences of your life-destroying crimes?”
“I had to change my name and move to a free house”
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
“I had to change my name and move to a free house”
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Prince Andrew to be stripped of titles and forced to leave Windsor home
King’s brother will become known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, Buckingham Palace says, in latest fallout from Epstein scandal
www.theguardian.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:26 AM
A thing about royal scandals in the UK - each one adds a new layer of irony to the scene where the horrified Macbeth sees the vision of the line of Banquo's heirs stretching out to the crack of doom.
Reposted by Joe Hodson
Counterpoint:
In his very online weirdness, Elon Musk is the worst kind of patron least likely to ensure lasting success for the UK Right
In his very online weirdness, Elon Musk is the worst kind of patron least likely to ensure lasting success for the UK Right
October 29, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Counterpoint:
In his very online weirdness, Elon Musk is the worst kind of patron least likely to ensure lasting success for the UK Right
In his very online weirdness, Elon Musk is the worst kind of patron least likely to ensure lasting success for the UK Right
Clear lesson in why we should generally mistrust signifiers of honour and rank - there is pressure to spectacularly misallocate them like this.
“We present this gold crown to you on this joyous occasion”
Trump: Thank you very much
Trump: Thank you very much
October 29, 2025 at 6:22 AM
Clear lesson in why we should generally mistrust signifiers of honour and rank - there is pressure to spectacularly misallocate them like this.
Essential to have a strong egalitarian alternative to Labour that nonetheless firmly rejects Sultana's position on Ukraine.
"To say 'Zelenskyy is no friend of the working class' is an insulting, facile distraction from the fact that Sultana refuses to support the Ukrainian people’s fight for existence."
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Coventry South needs a by-election soon
Zarah Sultana has no mandate for disarming the people of Britain and betraying Ukraine
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Essential to have a strong egalitarian alternative to Labour that nonetheless firmly rejects Sultana's position on Ukraine.
Reposted by Joe Hodson
✈️ The aviation industry’s message: tax us if you must – just don’t spend it saving lives from climate change.
Our CEO writes about how a small proposed levy on luxury flights – to fund climate action – has the industry up in arms.
Read our blog 👉 www.opportunitygreen.org/blog/air-pas...
Our CEO writes about how a small proposed levy on luxury flights – to fund climate action – has the industry up in arms.
Read our blog 👉 www.opportunitygreen.org/blog/air-pas...
Why the aviation industry prefers an air passenger tax to a solidarity levy — Opportunity Green
What is the difference between the UK Air Passenger Duty and the Solidarity Levy - and what would the aviation industry prefer? Find in this blog, along with our quick guide to aviation tax.
www.opportunitygreen.org
October 28, 2025 at 10:05 AM
✈️ The aviation industry’s message: tax us if you must – just don’t spend it saving lives from climate change.
Our CEO writes about how a small proposed levy on luxury flights – to fund climate action – has the industry up in arms.
Read our blog 👉 www.opportunitygreen.org/blog/air-pas...
Our CEO writes about how a small proposed levy on luxury flights – to fund climate action – has the industry up in arms.
Read our blog 👉 www.opportunitygreen.org/blog/air-pas...
On a related note, here's a pretty exciting paper seeking to apply the principle of unjust enrichment in the valuation of damages in ISDS, to prevent investors from claiming "lost profits" from projects that would have breached the Paris Agreement:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
October 28, 2025 at 1:09 PM
On a related note, here's a pretty exciting paper seeking to apply the principle of unjust enrichment in the valuation of damages in ISDS, to prevent investors from claiming "lost profits" from projects that would have breached the Paris Agreement:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...