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Pitcairn revisited: The Pitcairn Trials and the Privy Council
Read more: Pitcairn revisited: The Pitcairn Trials and the Privy CouncilLast week I found myself hooked to a new podcast: The Pitcairn Trials. Produced in 2024 and released on BBC Sounds last month, the series spotlights a legal saga which coincided with my own time as an undergraduate law student. Although the trial and subsequent appeal to the Privy Council took place two decades ago, it remains a fascinating example of the challenges of colonial governance and the jurisdiction of…
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Why do some returning officers wear silly hats?
Read more: Why do some returning officers wear silly hats?I have been attending election counts, lately as an election agent, for over 20 years. One thing I’m often asked at these counts (as one of the lawyers there) is why some English declarations involve returning officers in chains, gowns, and silly hats; but not in some other constituencies; and never in Scotland. The answer can be found in the Representation of the People Act 1983 (ROTPA). s24 ROTPA provides…
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How I Changed the Law
Read more: How I Changed the LawDr Stuart MacLennan describes how a chance conversation with a former councillor led to him proposing changes to the law.