Kenneth Armstrong
profkaarmstrong.bsky.social
Kenneth Armstrong
@profkaarmstrong.bsky.social

Emeritus Professorial Fellow in Law at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. Co-editor of the Law in Context series published by Cambridge University Press. Academic Asspciate at 39 Essex Chambers.
Can be found on Substack. .. more

Political science 77%
Economics 8%
Pinned
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Remember when an NUJ walkout could disrupt BBC services? It would be refreshing to see journalists standing up for media freedom.

One of the problems with the BBC News coverage of threats to sue the BBC for $1bn is the tendency to report as if the UK and US are one legal jurisdiction. They are not.
Call for papers for a workshop on Economic Aspects of the Constitution: www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_...

It is 20 years since Conor Gearty gave the Hamlyn Lectures on Can Human Rights Survive?
As a mark of respect following the dreadful news of his, Cambridge University Press & Assessment has made these lectures Open Access for the remainder of the year. You can find them here:
lnkd.in/e5Xrt2G5
I’ve co-authored a piece with friend and former colleague, @eliotwilson.bsky.social (on his excellent Ideas Lab Substack) examining why the House of Commons is so bad at scrutinising treaties and noting the growing cross-party coalition for reform.
theideaslab.substack.com/p/improving-...
Improving parliamentary scrutiny of international agreements
The current scrutiny powers of Parliament over treaties and international agreements are weak and ineffective: legislating for parliamentary consent would be a step forward
theideaslab.substack.com

I’m baffled by a logic that recognises Parliament cannot be injucted but expects an injunction contra mundum to be observed the compatibility of which with constitutional principle rests on no one knowing the injunction exists so enforcement does not arise.

I wonder @lewisgoodall.com what the mechanism was to injunct the Speaker and whether his office could make legal representation to raise compatibility with Bill of Rights?
Spoke to @pressgazette about why the Afghan superinjunction case is a huge moment for press freedom, open justice and parliamentary democracy in the UK- and why it must never be allowed to happen in the same way again.

pressgazette.co.uk/media_law/af...
Afghan data breach super injunction 'deeply disturbing' for press freedom, says Lewis Goodall
Podcast co-host Lewis Goodall has shared fears for the future of media over a court-imposed super injunction.
pressgazette.co.uk
Spoke to @pressgazette about why the Afghan superinjunction case is a huge moment for press freedom, open justice and parliamentary democracy in the UK- and why it must never be allowed to happen in the same way again.

pressgazette.co.uk/media_law/af...
Afghan data breach super injunction 'deeply disturbing' for press freedom, says Lewis Goodall
Podcast co-host Lewis Goodall has shared fears for the future of media over a court-imposed super injunction.
pressgazette.co.uk

A remarkable and revealing account of the fragility of our legal and constitutional system of government in the face of a concerted effort to prevent journalists from doing their job.
For 2 years, 2 govts used a secret court to hide the truth: they put 100,000 Afghans at risk of death. They used constitutionally unprecedented methods to prevent reporting.
My reflections on two years on this story and why it must ever happen again.
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/my-two-yea...
My two years in secret court: How UK governments hid a national scandal
The government put 100,000 Afghans at risk of death. Then used the force of law in a constitutionally unprecedented way to prevent anyone finding out.
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com
Offers the most comprehensive survey of the history of international law in the interwar period to date.

The Cambridge History of International Law: International Law at the Time of the League of Nations (1920–1945) eds. Robert Kolb & Momchil Milanov

https://cup.org/44MRdrA

💙📚 #LawSky #History
For 2 years, 2 govts used a secret court to hide the truth: they put 100,000 Afghans at risk of death. They used constitutionally unprecedented methods to prevent reporting.
My reflections on two years on this story and why it must ever happen again.
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/my-two-yea...
My two years in secret court: How UK governments hid a national scandal
The government put 100,000 Afghans at risk of death. Then used the force of law in a constitutionally unprecedented way to prevent anyone finding out.
goodallandgoodluck.substack.com

We may be a year on from UK General Election but it’s less than a year to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd elections. Would welcome some analysis of how Labour’s year in power might affect outcomes of those elections.

An SPS agreement with the EU may be less understandable than fisheries but it’s hugely important. And it’s also unclear what sort of arrangement if any would ever satisfy some in the fishing industry.

When evaluating the EU-UK reset it’s important to recognise that the size and depth of any agreement is limited by what is possible while remaining a non-Member State.

Sweden has remixed theme tune for Inspector Gadget as their #eurovision entry.

UKIP never won a parliamentary seat. But it never faced a collapse in Conservative vote. Reform is picking up seats and votes now because of that collapse.
The European Commission issued the first fines under its Digital Markets Act today.

With this decision, the EU is able to show its digital rules can bite back, our competition correspondent Francesca Micheletti explains 👇

Our full rundown on the fines here: ow.ly/cMPO50VG7AC
🚨 BREAKING: The EU has fined Apple €500 million and Meta €200 million for breaking Europe's digital rules.

Read the developing story: ow.ly/TMEB50VG74a

Interesting story about the policy context of the drafting of the Equality Act. The UKSC ruling will continue to generate plenty of news stories.
Ruling on ‘woman’ definition at odds with UK Equality Act’s aim, says ex-civil servant who played key role in drafting the 2010 law www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Ruling on ‘woman’ definition at odds with UK Equality Act’s aim, says ex-civil servant
Giving trans women same sex discrimination rights as biological women was ‘clear premise’, says key figure
www.theguardian.com

In the end I wonder if cases will focus instead on gender reassignment as a protected characteristic? When and why cases take one form or another will be interesting to see. END

Interesting to consider how significant this perception trigger will be and whether there will be any practical difference in how cases are brought by trans women and biological females. 3/

Its answer is that the perception that a person is male or female is the trigger allowing legal protection of that characteristic. So treating a trans woman less favourably because of perception she is a woman’s give EA protection. 2/

UKSC judgment interpreting Equality Act also answers question of whether “sex” discrimination claims can be brought by trans men and trans women after its conclusion that M/F=biological sex. 1/

A note to anyone who plans to study today’s U.K. Supreme Court ruling on gender recognition and Equality Act. Start at para 156 and save yourself half a day of eye strain.
Explained: how did the 'what is a woman?' case get to the supreme court and what could the ruling mean for trans people and women? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
How UK court definition of ‘woman’ could affect sex-based rights
What the supreme court has been asked to rule on – and the implications for women and trans people in Scotland, England and Wales
www.theguardian.com
“In a recent poll, six out of ten Norwegians said they favour a vote [on EU membership], but even pro-EU politicians are dismissing the idea and it's unclear whether there would be sufficient support.

“The poll favoured non-membership 48% to 41%”

www.euractiv.com/section/poli...
Norway-EU 'situationship' blossoms in face of tariffs, reforms - Euractiv
Norwegian PM has argued that Brussels and Oslo need each other now more than ever.
www.euractiv.com
Today, we’ll unpack the Commission’s new plan to help Europe compete in the global AI innovation race, which is being unveiled today.

Plus, more on the trade front as Trump’s raft of tariffs — including 20 percent on EU — are now up and running.

Brussels Playbook has more 👇
Tech dreams and trade nightmares
Presented by Ørsted By SUZANNE LYNCH with ZOYA SHEFTALOVICH PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Tweet @NicholasVinocur @swheaton @suzannelynch1 | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser GOOD MORNING …
ow.ly
NEW BLOG: Parliament and government have a once in a generation opportunity to reform the House of Lords: now is the time to seize it

The hereditary peers bill is awaiting report stage. Our Director, Meg Russell, says that peers should amend it to reform the Lords' size and appointments process.
Parliament and government have a once in a generation opportunity to reform the House of Lords: now is the time to seize it
The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill is currently being debated in the Lords itself, and has reached a crucial moment. In this second of a two-part post, Constitution Unit Director Meg Russell reviews the prospects for using the bill to achieve other long-awaited Lords reforms, beyond removing the hereditary peers. She argues that key changes, particularly to limit the size of the chamber, and improve the appointments process, should be made to the bill, as history suggests that further government legislation is unlikely to follow. These changes are in tune with public opinion, and would be consistent with promises made in Labour’s own manifesto.
constitution-unit.com