Adam Tomkins
@proftomkins.bsky.social
Professor of Law, University of Glasgow. Latest book: On The Law of Speaking Freely (Hart, 2025). Now writing about Enlightenment, democracy, and decline.
Pinned
I’ve most recently been reading a biography of Thomas More—so do I pick Speaker of the Commons, Lord Chancellor, martyr, or Saint?
December 30, 2025 at 4:16 PM
I’ve most recently been reading a biography of Thomas More—so do I pick Speaker of the Commons, Lord Chancellor, martyr, or Saint?
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
University of Glasgow #scotland #photography
December 16, 2025 at 5:10 PM
University of Glasgow #scotland #photography
Huge thanks to Seamus Perry for nominating On the Law of Speaking Freely as one of his books of the year in this week’s New Statesman
December 8, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Huge thanks to Seamus Perry for nominating On the Law of Speaking Freely as one of his books of the year in this week’s New Statesman
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
Really looking forward to presenting to wonderful colleagues at Glasgow tomorrow on some recent work about Irish parliamentary culture and practice.
Looking forward to tomorrow afternoon's @uofglaw.bsky.social Public Law Research Cluster seminar, when David Kenny (@dkennytcd.bsky.social) of @tcddublin.bsky.social will present his paper 'Ireland, Westminster, and Political Constitutionalism'.
November 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Really looking forward to presenting to wonderful colleagues at Glasgow tomorrow on some recent work about Irish parliamentary culture and practice.
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
Looking forward to tomorrow afternoon's @uofglaw.bsky.social Public Law Research Cluster seminar, when David Kenny (@dkennytcd.bsky.social) of @tcddublin.bsky.social will present his paper 'Ireland, Westminster, and Political Constitutionalism'.
November 18, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Looking forward to tomorrow afternoon's @uofglaw.bsky.social Public Law Research Cluster seminar, when David Kenny (@dkennytcd.bsky.social) of @tcddublin.bsky.social will present his paper 'Ireland, Westminster, and Political Constitutionalism'.
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
The audiobook of ‘On the Law of Speaking Freely’ by @proftomkins.bsky.social is available now!
Chosen by Lord Sumption as one of The Spectator’s Books of the Year: “Much more than a law book … It deserves a much wider readership than just lawyers.”
🎧 Listen here: https://adbl.co/44zOMbP
Chosen by Lord Sumption as one of The Spectator’s Books of the Year: “Much more than a law book … It deserves a much wider readership than just lawyers.”
🎧 Listen here: https://adbl.co/44zOMbP
November 12, 2025 at 5:44 PM
The audiobook of ‘On the Law of Speaking Freely’ by @proftomkins.bsky.social is available now!
Chosen by Lord Sumption as one of The Spectator’s Books of the Year: “Much more than a law book … It deserves a much wider readership than just lawyers.”
🎧 Listen here: https://adbl.co/44zOMbP
Chosen by Lord Sumption as one of The Spectator’s Books of the Year: “Much more than a law book … It deserves a much wider readership than just lawyers.”
🎧 Listen here: https://adbl.co/44zOMbP
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
🙌 A big thank you to @proftomkins.bsky.social who joined us and a room full of students and academics last week to discuss his new book: "On the Law of Speaking Freely"!
📰 Read Centre Director @eddiebarnes.bsky.social's takeaways from the event on our blog: www.johnsmithcentre.com/news/we-simp...
📰 Read Centre Director @eddiebarnes.bsky.social's takeaways from the event on our blog: www.johnsmithcentre.com/news/we-simp...
November 4, 2025 at 12:09 PM
🙌 A big thank you to @proftomkins.bsky.social who joined us and a room full of students and academics last week to discuss his new book: "On the Law of Speaking Freely"!
📰 Read Centre Director @eddiebarnes.bsky.social's takeaways from the event on our blog: www.johnsmithcentre.com/news/we-simp...
📰 Read Centre Director @eddiebarnes.bsky.social's takeaways from the event on our blog: www.johnsmithcentre.com/news/we-simp...
In this week’s Spectator:
October 31, 2025 at 5:28 PM
In this week’s Spectator:
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
🎤 “We can’t grow unless we hear from others whom we disagree with or who are telling us things we do not already know.”
@proftomkins.bsky.social speaks about free speech and why it’s important for public debate and individuals.
@uofgsocsci.bsky.social @uofglaw.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social
@proftomkins.bsky.social speaks about free speech and why it’s important for public debate and individuals.
@uofgsocsci.bsky.social @uofglaw.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 6:28 PM
🎤 “We can’t grow unless we hear from others whom we disagree with or who are telling us things we do not already know.”
@proftomkins.bsky.social speaks about free speech and why it’s important for public debate and individuals.
@uofgsocsci.bsky.social @uofglaw.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social
@proftomkins.bsky.social speaks about free speech and why it’s important for public debate and individuals.
@uofgsocsci.bsky.social @uofglaw.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
Call for papers for a workshop on Economic Aspects of the Constitution: www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_...
October 23, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Call for papers for a workshop on Economic Aspects of the Constitution: www.gla.ac.uk/media/Media_...
Quite a day. Not only did I give my new work, on Swift and the Enlightenment Constitution, its first public outing, but Helen Dale’s deeply thoughtful review of my last project, On the Law of Speaking Freely, has been published here: lawliberty.org/book-review/...
From Heresy to Hate Speech – Helen Dale
Adam Tomkins’s book shows the knotty history and evolution of free speech debates.
lawliberty.org
October 22, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Quite a day. Not only did I give my new work, on Swift and the Enlightenment Constitution, its first public outing, but Helen Dale’s deeply thoughtful review of my last project, On the Law of Speaking Freely, has been published here: lawliberty.org/book-review/...
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
⌛️ There's still time to get your free tickets to 'SHUT UP! Should offensive speech be free?', a John Smith Centre event with @proftomkins.bsky.social.
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🤝 Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students & staff
🎟️ 👇
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🤝 Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students & staff
🎟️ 👇
SHUT UP! Should offensive speech be free?
Join Professor Adam Tomkins and the John Smith Centre to examine how to navigate free speech.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
October 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM
⌛️ There's still time to get your free tickets to 'SHUT UP! Should offensive speech be free?', a John Smith Centre event with @proftomkins.bsky.social.
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🤝 Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students & staff
🎟️ 👇
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🤝 Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students & staff
🎟️ 👇
Not 👀 as much as 🙈🙉🙊
Speech is 🥶
Justice is 🚫
Speech is 🥶
Justice is 🚫
October 17, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Not 👀 as much as 🙈🙉🙊
Speech is 🥶
Justice is 🚫
Speech is 🥶
Justice is 🚫
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT TALKING 🗣️
In our latest blog, @eddiebarnes.bsky.social writes on the importance of open debate and discussion ahead of our event at the University of Glasgow with @proftomkins.bsky.social later this month.
Read it here 👇
In our latest blog, @eddiebarnes.bsky.social writes on the importance of open debate and discussion ahead of our event at the University of Glasgow with @proftomkins.bsky.social later this month.
Read it here 👇
IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT TALKING - John Smith Centre
The University of Glasgow has a longstanding reputation as a place for open political debate and discussion. John Smith – after whom our centre is named – cut his political teeth as a keen Labour…
www.johnsmithcentre.com
October 15, 2025 at 10:30 AM
IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT TALKING 🗣️
In our latest blog, @eddiebarnes.bsky.social writes on the importance of open debate and discussion ahead of our event at the University of Glasgow with @proftomkins.bsky.social later this month.
Read it here 👇
In our latest blog, @eddiebarnes.bsky.social writes on the importance of open debate and discussion ahead of our event at the University of Glasgow with @proftomkins.bsky.social later this month.
Read it here 👇
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
📢 EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT 📢
Join us and @proftomkins.bsky.social to discuss the law and history around free speech. Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students and staff.
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1818334941...
Join us and @proftomkins.bsky.social to discuss the law and history around free speech. Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students and staff.
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1818334941...
October 14, 2025 at 2:02 PM
📢 EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT 📢
Join us and @proftomkins.bsky.social to discuss the law and history around free speech. Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students and staff.
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1818334941...
Join us and @proftomkins.bsky.social to discuss the law and history around free speech. Open to @uofglasgow.bsky.social students and staff.
📅 28 Oct 2025
📍 Humanities Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
🎟️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1818334941...
Toadstools running wild
October 12, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Toadstools running wild
Published today: on how to fix free speech in Britain (for those who think it may be broken) lawliberty.org/the-uks-spee...
The UK’s Speech Problem – Adam Tomkins
If free speech is broken in Britain, here’s how to fix it.
lawliberty.org
October 6, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Published today: on how to fix free speech in Britain (for those who think it may be broken) lawliberty.org/the-uks-spee...
I’m glad you’ve said this. I was wondering what “serious disruption to the life of the community” was doing in these provisions if it didn’t capture what the H Sec appears to be seeking to capture.
October 6, 2025 at 7:39 AM
I’m glad you’ve said this. I was wondering what “serious disruption to the life of the community” was doing in these provisions if it didn’t capture what the H Sec appears to be seeking to capture.
It’s not an exact analogy, but the UK Govt published 15 “Scotland Analysis Papers” in 2012-14, in the run-up to the indyref, the first of which was formal legal advice on what independence would mean. Thereafter, the entirety of the UK Govt’s position on indy rested on that legal advice.
October 5, 2025 at 7:02 PM
It’s not an exact analogy, but the UK Govt published 15 “Scotland Analysis Papers” in 2012-14, in the run-up to the indyref, the first of which was formal legal advice on what independence would mean. Thereafter, the entirety of the UK Govt’s position on indy rested on that legal advice.
A new review essay by me on free speech and true speech, published today: lawliberty.org/book-review/...
In Pursuit of True Speech – Adam Tomkins
A new history tries to highlight a middle path between free speech absolutism and pure censorship. It does not quite succeed.
lawliberty.org
August 5, 2025 at 4:35 PM
A new review essay by me on free speech and true speech, published today: lawliberty.org/book-review/...
The only thing worse than academics running the academy is academics having to stand open-mouthed and aghast whilst they watch others running the academy. (You can add “into the ground” to the end of that sentence if you wish.)
July 24, 2025 at 12:38 PM
The only thing worse than academics running the academy is academics having to stand open-mouthed and aghast whilst they watch others running the academy. (You can add “into the ground” to the end of that sentence if you wish.)
Reposted by Adam Tomkins
Another opportunity to join Durham Law School as a three-year career development fellow in public law. A great Law School and a vibrant public law community with opportunities to teach in both core and optional modules, and excellent support for research. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNX378/c...
Career Development Fellow in Public Law at Durham University
Searching for an academic job? Explore this Career Development Fellow in Public Law opening on jobs.ac.uk! Click to view more details and browse other academic jobs.
www.jobs.ac.uk
July 15, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Another opportunity to join Durham Law School as a three-year career development fellow in public law. A great Law School and a vibrant public law community with opportunities to teach in both core and optional modules, and excellent support for research. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNX378/c...
Fewer than would have been ideal, I grant you.
July 12, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Fewer than would have been ideal, I grant you.