David Anderson
@bricksilk.bsky.social
Lord Anderson of Ipswich KBE KC: Barrister, Cross-bench Peer, Independent Prevent Commissioner; HL Constitution Cttee; Chair Inter Mediate, @uclei.bsky.social; Vis Prof KCL; AFPS; ex-indept reviewer terrorism legn; history, nature, sea kayaking, Suffolk
Text of MI5 director general’s annual threat address is here www.mi5.gov.uk/director-gen.... This is how he dealt with the failures of disclosure identified earlier this year by the courts, and now under independent review by Sir Brian Leveson
October 16, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Text of MI5 director general’s annual threat address is here www.mi5.gov.uk/director-gen.... This is how he dealt with the failures of disclosure identified earlier this year by the courts, and now under independent review by Sir Brian Leveson
The rationale in a nutshell
September 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The rationale in a nutshell
Ipswich Waterfront (with, for a few days only, the Santa Maria)
September 13, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Ipswich Waterfront (with, for a few days only, the Santa Maria)
Wide ranging HL debate on the proscription of Palestine action. It passed HL in the end, with a huge majority.
July 3, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Wide ranging HL debate on the proscription of Palestine action. It passed HL in the end, with a huge majority.
On a more positive note, it seems that special advocates (as well as journalists) can make a difference - and did so in this case. Bravo. /4
July 3, 2025 at 7:37 AM
On a more positive note, it seems that special advocates (as well as journalists) can make a difference - and did so in this case. Bravo. /4
(2) The independent mechanisms designed to scrutinise MI5 depend on a high degree of candour – from MI5. /3
July 3, 2025 at 7:36 AM
(2) The independent mechanisms designed to scrutinise MI5 depend on a high degree of candour – from MI5. /3
(1) The respect of courts for government judgements on national security (themselves based on assessments by intelligence agencies) will only be maintained for as long as the integrity of those agencies can be relied upon. /2
July 3, 2025 at 7:34 AM
(1) The respect of courts for government judgements on national security (themselves based on assessments by intelligence agencies) will only be maintained for as long as the integrity of those agencies can be relied upon. /2
Baroness Hale’s expression at the start of this extract was a treat - sadly not captured on camera.
April 5, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Baroness Hale’s expression at the start of this extract was a treat - sadly not captured on camera.
Some Hale-Sumption gentle banter in the transcript, now published: committees.parliament.uk/event/23872/...
April 5, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Some Hale-Sumption gentle banter in the transcript, now published: committees.parliament.uk/event/23872/...
Excellent piece. These (hard-won) passages may also be of interest.
April 1, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Excellent piece. These (hard-won) passages may also be of interest.
If the government is serious about slashing regulation, will it bring wholly into force a new and unprecedented regulatory regime, costly for businesses and the taxpayer, well-meant but whose possible benefits are uncertain? To govern is to choose. #MartynsLaw
March 18, 2025 at 8:26 AM
If the government is serious about slashing regulation, will it bring wholly into force a new and unprecedented regulatory regime, costly for businesses and the taxpayer, well-meant but whose possible benefits are uncertain? To govern is to choose. #MartynsLaw
Career highlight: I once had the honour of visiting them in the company of the Notorious RBG.
March 15, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Career highlight: I once had the honour of visiting them in the company of the Notorious RBG.
My one and only contribution to the Hereditary Peers Bill, urging an expansion of the “people’s peers” scheme by which anyone in the UK can apply for a peerage with CV and six referees: hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-0.... It gave us Beeban Kidron, David Pannick and Peter Hennessy (also me).
March 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
My one and only contribution to the Hereditary Peers Bill, urging an expansion of the “people’s peers” scheme by which anyone in the UK can apply for a peerage with CV and six referees: hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2025-0.... It gave us Beeban Kidron, David Pannick and Peter Hennessy (also me).
Over-broad delegation of powers: we debate this Bill by Bill, but how about a more strategic approach? My modest proposal in yesterday‘s product regulation bill debates hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-0....
February 27, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Over-broad delegation of powers: we debate this Bill by Bill, but how about a more strategic approach? My modest proposal in yesterday‘s product regulation bill debates hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-0....
Wise clients shop around: observed in the Temple this afternoon
February 25, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Wise clients shop around: observed in the Temple this afternoon
An idiosyncratic but much-appreciated approach to this problem - from the legendary David Vaughan QC.
February 6, 2025 at 3:47 PM
An idiosyncratic but much-appreciated approach to this problem - from the legendary David Vaughan QC.
We could give statutory force to the “constitutional watchdogs” (so that they cannot simply be abolished by an incoming PM): wise words from House of Lords Constitution Committee today publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ld....
January 28, 2025 at 12:42 PM
We could give statutory force to the “constitutional watchdogs” (so that they cannot simply be abolished by an incoming PM): wise words from House of Lords Constitution Committee today publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ld....
Looking forward to this important new challenge. Terms of reference will follow: won’t be doing media for now.
January 21, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Looking forward to this important new challenge. Terms of reference will follow: won’t be doing media for now.
The UK’s Assisted Dying Bill (uniquely in the world) would require a High Court Judge to be satisfied that applicants were not “coerced or pressured by any other person”. If AD happens on even a fraction of this scale, how many extra judges would be needed for this requirement to be met?
December 13, 2024 at 5:08 AM
The UK’s Assisted Dying Bill (uniquely in the world) would require a High Court Judge to be satisfied that applicants were not “coerced or pressured by any other person”. If AD happens on even a fraction of this scale, how many extra judges would be needed for this requirement to be met?
Lord Beamish, Lord West and Baroness Brown are in line to be appointed from the Lords.
December 11, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Lord Beamish, Lord West and Baroness Brown are in line to be appointed from the Lords.
It seems that soaring UK sickness-related inactivity correlates with benefit incentives rather than sickness levels: telling graph from @jburnmurdoch.bsky.social in @financialtimes.com.
December 6, 2024 at 8:42 AM
It seems that soaring UK sickness-related inactivity correlates with benefit incentives rather than sickness levels: telling graph from @jburnmurdoch.bsky.social in @financialtimes.com.
And … not such a good result but any chance of reprinting this little beauty?
November 24, 2024 at 8:29 PM
And … not such a good result but any chance of reprinting this little beauty?
It’s one of the shortest Bills imaginable - just two clauses. But the product of many hundreds of pages of Law Conmission consultations and reports.
November 18, 2024 at 10:28 PM
It’s one of the shortest Bills imaginable - just two clauses. But the product of many hundreds of pages of Law Conmission consultations and reports.