Category Archives: Personal liberty

David Davis for Freedom

June 19, 2008 – 5:38 am

The GOP has always had something of a libertarian wing - albeit one bludgeoned into submission at George W Bush’s hands. The UK’s Conservatives, by contrast, were for many years able to do without. Margaret Thatcher put paid to that, although she had a huge fight with elements of her own party before she could [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in England, Politics, Terrorism | Comments (16)

A new way of policing “doof-doof”

June 17, 2008 – 8:20 pm

When my husband and I first moved in together, we lived in a set of terrace houses. We’d lived there about two years when new tenants moved in two doors down. The new tenants were Columbian exchange students, and I don’t think they took their studies seriously. What they did take seriously was partying hard [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in England, Fark!, Intellectual property, Law, Media, Music, Society | Comments (4)

Human rights and criticising Islam

June 7, 2008 – 12:20 am

I’ve been following the case brought by the Ontario-based Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) against Mark Steyn in the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. And as per Pete M’s request, I’m writing a post on it (in the middle of the night because I’m an insomniac). Perhaps, as per John Hasenkam’s comment in response to Pete, [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Free Speech, Human/Civil rights, Law, Media, Politics, Racism, Religion, Society | Comments (31)

Of good character

June 3, 2008 – 10:19 pm

The requirement of being “of good character” is one with which lawyers are familiar. After all, we have to show that we are fit and proper persons before we can be admitted to practice (as outlined in this post about plagiarist law students). Generally, when I think about someone being “of good character”, I think [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Free Speech, Human/Civil rights, Immigration, Law, Politics, Terrorism | Comments (8)

Freedom of speech to speak foolishly…

May 15, 2008 – 9:09 pm

Continuing on the American theme from Helen’s conference post below, I thought I might mention this amusing First Amendment case, Purtell v Mason. I’ll let Sykes J from the Seventh Circuit of the United State Court of Appeals introduce the story:
The setting is a neighborhood feud. The case features an unsightly, 38-foot recreational vehicle stored [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Free Speech, Law | Comments (4)

Ethics and the law - when can a lawyer “dob in” a client?

May 7, 2008 – 10:33 pm

A while back, a non-lawyer friend asked me out of curiosity if a lawyer could (or should) report a client to authorities if the lawyer knew or suspected that client was committing fraud. It’s a little complicated. One’s first thought may be: ”Surely the primary duty of a lawyer is to uphold the law, and therefore the [...]

By Legal Eagle | Also posted in Law | Comments (3)

Expert witnesses, gay rights and you can’t say that on the stand!

February 8, 2008 – 12:08 pm

Well well well, the stuff you learn.
Professor John Finnis is one of my teachers here. This term I have to front up for four hours of Finnis a week, so I’m becoming reasonably familiar with both his ideas and method. Granted, that’s sometimes by osmosis, but it’s good to be forced to confront ideas with [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Law, Philosophy | Comments (121)

Kevin Rudd = Trendy Vicar (and some reflections on the ASBO)

November 25, 2007 – 12:03 pm

Now that Kevin Rudd is firmly ensconced as Australia’s Prime Minister elect, it’s worth looking at the social democratic party his ALP most resembles – Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s ‘New Labour’. Just as Blair was Thatcher-lite, Rudd is Howard-lite, with the crucial difference that Rudd appears – at least superficially – to be even [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Human/Civil rights, Law, Politics | Comments (117)

Breaking the Habit

January 11, 2007 – 12:53 pm

“You shouldn’t be allowed to sign yourself out of rehab,” the girl is saying, fair hair flying, finger pointing. “People just f*ck off when it gets too hard. You’ll never kick it that way.”
It’s Friday morning, time for “Moot” in a very unusual Queensland school. “Moot” - redolent of the genteel mock court cases engaged [...]

By skepticlawyer | Also posted in Economics | Comments (72)