Geoff Pearson
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profgeoffpearson.bsky.social
Geoff Pearson
@profgeoffpearson.bsky.social

Prof of Law and Co-Director of Research at Manchester University's Law Dept. Socio-legal research interests in human rights, policing, public order, crowd management, football "hooliganism", Ethnography, and sports law.

Political science 47%
Sociology 29%

I'd kill to watch a moderate county championship side these days.
What would really be the implications of taking Santa Claus seriously?

It's the time of the year to review the current state of the physics of Santa Claus

1/12

Rather pleased with our efforts for this year's advent window. And yes that is Father Christmas and not @markhamillofficial.bsky.social climbing into the AT-AT.
Matthew Goodwin objects to prosecuting this: ‘I think it’s time for the British to gang together, hit the streets and start the slaughter. Violence and murder is the only way now. Start off burning every migrant hotel then head off to MPs’ houses and Parliament, we need to take over by FORCE.’

Surely it should be for the CPS to make a statement about what - if any - offence has been committed by people engaging in this chant and then for the police to decide whether to take action as and when?
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Met police and GMP pledge crackdown on ‘intifada’ chants at Gaza war protests
Forces say they will ‘recalibrate to be more assertive’ in light of antisemitic attacks in Manchester and Sydney
www.theguardian.com

Not much. The issue crops up from time to time on S&S scrutiny panels reviewing BWV, but I've not encountered any system for finding out reasons for not asking the question and don't know of any research in this area. Suspect it just falls into the standard cutting-corners that many bobbies do.

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

Lewis Graham, "Human rights challenges after SC" [2026] Public Law 48

WestLaw Link: uk.westlaw.com/Document/I2A...
uk.westlaw.com

£7.5k? A staggeringly low price for such an abuse of power, law, and process. Not surprised the MPS settled. That's barely a ticket for a World Cup group stage match.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Met police agree to pay £7,500 to woman arrested over Gaza protest placard
Exclusive: Force to pay damages to Aisha Jung, who was put into a police van and held until 4am
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

The ticket pricing for the World Cup is a disgrace. Making fans pay for all eight games up front is a disgrace.

The game is being taken from the people and sold back to them at an unforgivable premium.

inews.co.uk/sport/footba...
World Cup ticket prices are hideously, unforgivably expensive
Watching your country play shouldn’t be the pursuit solely of the super-rich - this is so far beyond the pale it has to cause a line in the sand
inews.co.uk

Really useful ECtHR judgment on public order tactics, this.
Tsaava v Georgia [GC]

hudoc.echr.coe.int?i=001-247738

Court: excessive force used against protestors in front of Georgian Parliament

+ a Partial Dissent from the UK’s Judge Tim Eicke who would have found that two applicants lacked “victim status in relation to their complaint under Article 11”.
HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights
The HUDOC database provides access to the case-law of the Court (Grand Chamber, Chamber and Committee judgments and decisions, communicated cases, advisory opinions and legal summaries from the Case-L...
hudoc.echr.coe.int

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

Tsaava v Georgia [GC]

hudoc.echr.coe.int?i=001-247738

Court: excessive force used against protestors in front of Georgian Parliament

+ a Partial Dissent from the UK’s Judge Tim Eicke who would have found that two applicants lacked “victim status in relation to their complaint under Article 11”.
HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights
The HUDOC database provides access to the case-law of the Court (Grand Chamber, Chamber and Committee judgments and decisions, communicated cases, advisory opinions and legal summaries from the Case-L...
hudoc.echr.coe.int

Billy Joel knew the score.

This will raleigh improve the quality of public order policing. (sorry)

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

Treat with caution. The BBFC press release does not contain a link to either the full report or to a detailed methodology or data tables. It is does also not appear to be peer reviewed.

Two Becomes One was top of the Hit Parade for three weeks in Christmas 1996. It was by an obscure popular beat combo called something like The Spicey Girls.

It was a Christmas No.1, they are dressed as, well, some sort of snow things, and there are Christmas bells in it. Definitely a Christmas song, in a way that Two Becomes One isn't.

It had a quality nativity music video. What's your view on Stay Another Day?

All good now. Expecting to be home tonight, albeit one and a half days late!

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

🚨 Got bold ideas in criminology or criminal justice?
We want to read them.

Criminology & Criminal Justice is open for submissions — from the critical to the creative, the empirical to the theoretical.

🖊️ Send us your best work: journals.sagepub.com/home/CRJ

#Criminology
Criminology & Criminal Justice: Sage Journals
journals.sagepub.com

Thunderstorms, landslides and floods. The low point was when the car we hitched a lift in started to float. The worst weather the locals could recall in many years.

Was an eventful journey back from the writing retreat. After being stuck on the island for over two days with no boats going in or out.

Brilliant news. Congrats @lucyfrith.bsky.social

Quelle surprise. The only question is whether the continued failure of the French police to manage football crowds is gross incompetence or deliberate maliciousness. Suspect it's a bit of both, personally.
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...
Newcastle: Club to complain after treatment of fans in Marseille
Newcastle United are to launch a complaint following the
www.bbc.co.uk
80% of UK women have experienced public harassment, yet 75% report that no one stepped in.

Dr @annabarker.bsky.social's research has helped hundreds of park staff and volunteers across the UK to be trained in how to spot, safely challenge, and prevent harassment.

Read more👇
tinyurl.com/99px5urh

Reposted by Geoff Pearson

New report by the Independent Commission on Counter-Terrorism, with Prof. Hilary Pilkington @uomsociology.bsky.social, calls for urgent reforms to make the UK’s counter-terrorism laws fairer, focused & more accountable

www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/o...

#SoSSResearch #Research @manchester.ac.uk

Sorry to be a bore David, but I try to avoid commenting publicly on active ops, given my current CoP role.

Have had a productive and enjoyable writing retreat in lovely Hydra and a book will be forthcoming from it. However, any mistakes will be those of the many cats who have interfered with my efforts, rather than my own.