Dr Rachel Gimson
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rachelgimson.bsky.social
Dr Rachel Gimson
@rachelgimson.bsky.social
Lecturer Exeter Law School. PhD Sussex Uni. Research criminal law and perceptions of justice. Dabble in legal history. Has a spaniel. Don't expect coherency or perfection.
Academic mildly infuriating things: knowing that this morning you read a point that you want to reference and yet this afternoon not being able to find it!
June 17, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Dr Rachel Gimson
I'm very much afraid that the first of the really big explosions is about to drop in Higher Education: at Cardiff University, where management speak of an 'immediate existential crisis'. And this is just the start. Solidarity with and to all colleagues at Cardiff. nation.cymru/news/huge-jo...
Huge job cuts announcement 'imminent' at Cardiff University
Martin Shipton Staff at Cardiff University fear huge job cuts are about to be announced by a senior management team that has already spoken of an “immediate existential crisis”. Briefings are due to b...
nation.cymru
January 27, 2025 at 9:50 PM
The problem with statements such as these is that it doesn't define constitution or democracy. Thereby perpetuating a very American-centric discussion of both.
One more note to this bracing essay: the US Constitution, while not being very old, is nonetheless the oldest of all current democratic charters. Democracy is a very new thing in the world, and not deeply rooted.

wapo.st/4062f8U
Opinion | We like to think of the Constitution as eternal. It’s anything but.
The entire run of American constitutionalism can be encompassed in three lifespans.
wapo.st
January 13, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Reposted by Dr Rachel Gimson
Some people in recent days have alleged a ‘cover-up’ over the grooming & rape of hundreds of young girls in predominantly northern UK towns, leading to calls for a ‘national’ public inquiry into child sexual exploitation

FWIW here’s a non-exhaustive list of inquiries into #CSE in last 12 yrs…
January 4, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Dr Rachel Gimson
The idea that longer sentences deter crimes is idiotic. A higher chance of being caught deters crime, not a massive sentence in the (unlikely) case you get caught. Sentence inflation is vapid political showboating.

That said, Dominique Pelicot and his 50 accomplices should rot in jail for life.
December 19, 2024 at 1:07 PM
I cannot fathom why UCU is balloting for industrial action to start in early April, if thresholds are met. That’s not ‘term time’, as the Union claims, it’s the sodding Easter holidays.
December 12, 2024 at 8:45 PM
It's easy to think that universities are elitist ivory towers, irrelevant to the wider society. But when one of them collapses, the consequences for the wider economy, let alone society is catastrophic. And without significant change they will collapse. Multiple. It will be devastating.
The House of Commons education committee will not be looking into any higher education issues when it announces its first inquiries under new parliament, I have learned.

One former DfE-er calls it "staggering" given challenges facing universities.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
November 22, 2024 at 2:01 PM
Absolutely furious that it’s snowing elsewhere in the country. We just have rain in Devon. Miserable, cold rain.
November 19, 2024 at 11:11 AM
Reposted by Dr Rachel Gimson
I see that a collection of MPs have taken it upon themselves to “launch” a private prosecution, in relation to a case which is still awaiting a CPS charging decision.

What might be the problems with this? 🧵
November 18, 2024 at 5:50 PM
Reposted by Dr Rachel Gimson
I bet most people in England and Wales don't realise abortion is still a criminal offence under the 1861 act. Abortion is only legal if it meets strict criteria under the 1967 act including risking the physical or mental health of the mother or causing grave permanent injury. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
One of my things is being pro choice, if you feel able may you consider signing this petition. I am not sure why it’s only got 2300 sigs, we don’t want to go down the American route petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...
Petition: Decriminalise Abortion
I am calling on the UK government to remove abortion from criminal law so that no pregnant person can be criminalised for procuring their own abortion.
petition.parliament.uk
November 18, 2024 at 7:13 AM
Genuinely hadn’t realised how much I’d missed old-Twitter until coming on here. Going to bask in the wholesomeness for a little while!
November 16, 2024 at 10:37 AM
Lordy cannot believe how eerily similar to the dumpster fire app this place is. Seems lovely though! Hoping to cultivate a lovely academic (and beyond) community here to geek out with!
November 15, 2024 at 11:08 AM