iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

A new chance to discuss you work on criminal law and criminal justice with the Virtual Criminal Law Group. We'd love to hear your ideas and engage with your work!

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Looking forward to the new series, and what a great way to start with my colleague @jallen7.bsky.social - looking forward to it!

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Congratulations! Well deserved! 🥳

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Alexander was one of the people that, when I first joined the criminal law theory community, made me feel like I’d finally found my tribe. I will forever be grateful for having known him. He was a great friend and a wonderful colleague, and I will miss him deeply. www.surrey.ac.uk/news/memory-...

surrey.ac.uk

In memory of Alexander Greenberg | University of Surrey

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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

What do you learn at university? 1. The difference between considering an idea for purposes of evaluation and advocating it. 2. The distinction between evaluating an idea and evaluating the person who proposes it. 3. The tension between ‘big picture’ and ‘fine-grain’. Skills, not (only) facts

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Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

NEW from me today: ICYMI it earlier, I've written for @arguablymag.bsky.social about the quiet crisis destroying almost everything important about universities, and why no-one's talking about it. Take a look: www.arguably.uk/p/the-quiet-...

arguably.uk

The quiet collapse of British universities

One of our great triumphs and economic advantages is fading away

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Virtual Criminal Law Group @vclg.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

This Wednesday 27 May is our final Spring meeting, where we will discuss Chloë Kennedy's paper "Procuring ‘Gross Indecency’: Labouchère’s Overlooked Offence". Join us at 3pm UK time, hope to see you then!

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

I didn’t have “refuse to stop using my own cognitive skills as an academic” in my life bingo card, but here we are… Seems like a nice club 🤓

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Virtual Criminal Law Group @vclg.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Next Wednesday 13 May, we will be hosting Professor Ekow Yankah (University of Michigan) to discuss his paper "Taking Victims Seriously: Abolitionism, Minimalism and Punishment as Equality Affirming", at 3pm UK time. The draft paper has been circulated to our mailing list - we hope to see you then!

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Virtual Criminal Law Group @vclg.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Our CfA for the Autumn seminar series is open! If you’re interested, please email an abstract (maximum 500 words) to vclgscotland@gmail.com by Friday 8 May. We welcome submissions across topics related to criminal law theory and practice, criminal procedure, and criminal justice, broadly construed.

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

I'd like to thank the creators of GenAI for making me so paranoid about students using it in their essays, that I am now forced into the "is it AI or just shitty writing" game every time I'm marking... What progress! What a great tool!

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

The deadline for these posts is tomorrow, so if you were thinking of applying, now is the time! Any questions, let me know and I'll be happy to chat.

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The Policy Institute @policyatkings.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

🔊 “adversaries have recognised the cheapest way to destabilise democracies is now not to breach our borders with tanks... the cheapest way is... through these wedge issues" Dr Kate Ferguson at this week's event on the perceptions, drivers & consequences of the UK's culture wars 🧵⬇️ Full video below

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Looking forward to hosting the VCLG hybrid at Aberdeen next week. You can contact me if you're intending to come in person, and if not I look forward to seeing you online!

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Jo Michell @jomichell.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I wouldn’t put it past our political class to draw the conclusion that, in the absence of an economy that creates graduate jobs, we will just have to cut back on graduates.

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

2 lecturer posts have been advertised today, at the University of Aberdeen, for criminal law and criminal justice. Come and join a great law school, and a subject area that seeks to be a strong part of the school's profile! Happy to discuss with anyone interested! www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs/vacanci...

abdn.ac.uk

Lecturer in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Law (LAW085A) | The University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen Research Jobs

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Virtual Criminal Law Group @vclg.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Join us tomorrow for a discussion of Gülce Ecem Uçar's paper, "The Digital Unperson: The Materiality of Nothingness and the Myth of Innocence in the New Oceania", at 3pm UK time. We hope to see you online!

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Yorkshire Criminal Law Forum @yclf.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Our 5th seminar is coming 🔜 🗣️ Federico La Vattiata: ‘Comparative Approaches to Normative Causation and the Limits of the But-For Test: Between Objective Attribution and Proximate Causation’. 🗓️ Wed 25 Feb, 15-16:30 📍Online & @universityofleeds.bsky.social ®️To join us: sites.google.com/view/yclf/

JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

New VCLG series coming up! Looking forward to the online discussions, and hope to see lots of you there!

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Melissa Terras @melissaterras.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Missing from the coverage of redundancies at Edinburgh: this was done in such a haphazard, uncoordinated way, there are now core teams who have gone from 5 people to 1 with no change in workload or pressure and huge loss in knowledge of institutional process. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2576321...

heraldscotland.com

Hundreds of staff leave Edinburgh University amid cuts drive

According to the university, 345 of these departures were the result of a targeted voluntary severance (VS) scheme run by the institution in 2025.

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Paolo Sandro @paolosandro.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Please re-share this - there aren't many permanent law jobs available in the UK right now! #academicjobfairy

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

I’ve missed this. I’ve missed us.

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

The only positive thing that’s come out of this horrifying “review” is that the responses feel like old academic Twitter, which I am happy to now see on BlueSky. Like James, I couldn’t get past the first footnote, and every snapshot I’ve seen makes this one of the worst things I’ve ever read.

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Virtual Criminal Law Group @vclg.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

This is today! Come and join us at 3pm, we look forward to discussing!

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Virtual Criminal Law Group @vclg.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

Next week, Wednesday 10 December, we will discuss the recent Scots Law decisions - Daly v HM Advocate and Keir v HM Advocate - which change the position on the admissibility of sexual history and character evidence. We hope to see you then!

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The Ferret @theferret.scot · 30/11/2025

🔴 NEW: The University of Edinburgh has quietly paid more than £750,000 to a controversial consulting firm amid job cuts - staff say bosses ignored "repeated" questions about its role. Read more about 'Nousferatu' 👉 www.theferret.scot/p...

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Virtual Criminal Law Group @vclg.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Join us thus Wednesday at 3pm, to discuss Ellens Nowell’s paper “Narratives of Criminal Justice and Sexual History Evidence Rules”. Link for seminar has been sent out this morning to our mailing list. We hope to see you then!

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

This was tonnes of fun and I loved talking to everyone who came to the event. Thanks for inviting me! 😁

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Yorkshire Criminal Law Forum @yclf.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

📣Join us today for the first #YCLF 2025-26 Seminar, we'll discuss @drfassnidge.bsky.social's paper 'The Deliberative Stage of Criminalisation and Political Turn: Theories of Criminalisation' 📅 Today, 3-4:30 pm online & @sheffielduni.bsky.social To attend, visit sites.google.com/view/yclf/

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Edinburgh Legal Theory @legaltheoryed.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

We’re delighted to share the details of this Workshop in Legal Epistemology, co-organised by Tsampika Taralli (UoE) and Alex Houghton (Stirling). The event will take place at the University of Stirling on Oct 27th, 2-7 pm. Further info & a registration link at: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/workshop-o....

eventbrite.co.uk

Workshop on Legal Epistemology

Let's dive deep into the world of legal epistemology and explore the fascinating intersection of law and knowledge in this hands-on workshop

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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Just when one thinks things can’t get much worse and something’s got to give, we get things like this…

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Very much looking forward to this, and to getting a chance to discuss with colleagues in the YCLF. Should be a blast!

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Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Please help me get the word out about the new websites for Legal Theory Blog and the Legal Theory Lexicon. Reposting here and on other social media sites is great. It would be especially helpful if law school faculty members could send an email to their colleagues with the new addresses.

legaltheoryblog.com

Legal Theory Blog

Discover our latest articles and updates. Stay informed with recent posts that cover a variety of topics you care about!

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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Migrants already "earn the right to settlement" through extortionate visa costs, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds. They prop up key services, including through the Immigration Health Surcharge. Pushing the hostile environment on steroids helps no-one. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Mahmood demands migrants earn right to settlement in UK

New tests will include learning English to a high standard, paying National Insurance and not claiming benefits.

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Kenneth F. Duggan 🇨🇦 @kfduggan.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

The quickest way to finish an article is to start it. It also helps if you can stay away from social media, tv and the internet. And your cell phone. And other people. You should also fight urges to clean and organise spaces, and to cook big meals. In other words, it’s difficult to finish articles.

A monk is seated, working on a manuscript. He is writing in a book and the writing appears to be horizontal lines.

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Hrafn Asgeirsson @hrafnasgeirsson.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

More hiring at Surrey Law School! Open-area Lecturer position (Research & Teaching) - deadline Thu 2 October 2025. THE POSITION IS GENUINELY OPEN re: research focus, so all interested parties should apply. Please circulate to anyone you think might be interested! jobs.surrey.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx...

jobs.surrey.ac.uk

Job Vacancy at the University of Surrey: Lecturer B in Law

Surrey Law School is committed to undertaking original, outstanding scholarship, and to delivering innovative, engaging teaching. The 2025 National Student Survey placed the school in the top 16 in th...

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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

This is a great piece (and if you are staff or a student at a British university, you might find you can log in to the FT through shibboleth etc…)

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Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 06/09/2025

Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia: doi.org/10.5281/zeno... We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity. 1/n

Abstract: Under the banner of progress, products have been uncritically adopted or
even imposed on users — in past centuries with tobacco and combustion engines, and in
the 21st with social media. For these collective blunders, we now regret our involvement or
apathy as scientists, and society struggles to put the genie back in the bottle. Currently, we
are similarly entangled with artificial intelligence (AI) technology. For example, software updates are rolled out seamlessly and non-consensually, Microsoft Office is bundled with chatbots, and we, our students, and our employers have had no say, as it is not
considered a valid position to reject AI technologies in our teaching and research. This
is why in June 2025, we co-authored an Open Letter calling on our employers to reverse
and rethink their stance on uncritically adopting AI technologies. In this position piece,
we expound on why universities must take their role seriously toa) counter the technology
industry’s marketing, hype, and harm; and to b) safeguard higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, and scientific integrity. We include pointers to
relevant work to further inform our colleagues.

Figure 1. A cartoon set theoretic view on various terms (see Table 1) used when discussing the superset AI
(black outline, hatched background): LLMs are in orange; ANNs are in magenta; generative models are
in blue; and finally, chatbots are in green. Where these intersect, the colours reflect that, e.g. generative adversarial network (GAN) and Boltzmann machine (BM) models are in the purple subset because they are
both generative and ANNs. In the case of proprietary closed source models, e.g. OpenAI’s ChatGPT and
Apple’s Siri, we cannot verify their implementation and so academics can only make educated guesses (cf.
Dingemanse 2025). Undefined terms used above: BERT (Devlin et al. 2019); AlexNet (Krizhevsky et al.
2017); A.L.I.C.E. (Wallace 2009); ELIZA (Weizenbaum 1966); Jabberwacky (Twist 2003); linear discriminant analysis (LDA); quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA).

Table 1. Below some of the typical terminological disarray is untangled. Importantly, none of these terms
are orthogonal nor do they exclusively pick out the types of products we may wish to critique or proscribe.

Protecting the Ecosystem of Human Knowledge: Five Principles

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Mark Dsouza @markedsouza1.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

With Matt Dyson (Oxford), Rachel Tolley (Cambridge), & Paul Jarvis (Criminal Bar Association), I will host the next Assize Seminar in Criminal Law at UCL Laws on 7 Nov. Speakers include: @jonathanherring.bsky.social, Jessica Corsi, Findlay Stark. Info + (free) tickets: www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events/...

ucl.ac.uk

Assize Seminar – Cutting Edge Criminal Law

organised by Mark Dsouza (UCL), Matthew Dyson (Oxford, Chair), Paul Jarvis (CBA) and Rachel Clement Tolley (Cambridge)

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Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research @thesccjr.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

Textbook Launch Event🚀 Join us for this in-person event @edinburghnapier.bsky.social on 7 Oct 3-5pm where we bring together a range of voices to reflect on where Scottish criminal justice is and where it's going. Register your place now 👇 bit.ly/criminal-jus...

bit.ly

The launch of 'Criminal Justice in Scotland' textbook

This event offers an opportunity to bring a range of voices together to reflect on where Scottish criminal justice is and where it's going.

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

It was an absolute pleasure, and I’m very excited to see the final product in due course. See you in the next one! 😉

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University of Oxford @ox.ac.uk · 04/09/2025

NEW: An Oxford report warns that misleading media coverage is shaping public debate on immigration and human rights. The study finds the ECHR is frequently misreported in deportation cases, fueling misconceptions that erode trust in the legal system. 🧵 [1/8]

Silhouettes of three people in front of a weathered British flag, with the headline: Misrepresentations around human rights and immigration fuelling calls to quit ECHR, Oxford report finds

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Ooh we've opened our call for small research grants. £10k for any humanities or social sciences research. Open to independent scholars. We use partial randomisation to allocate the funding: random allocation between all that meet the quality threshold www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/ba-l...

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants

The BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants are available to support primary research in the humanities and social sciences. These awards, up to £10,000 in value and tenable for up to 24 months, are provi...

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

A new CfA from the VCLG for Spring 2026! If you fancy an engaging discussion of your work with a constructive group (if I do say so myself), please do join us. Looking forward to seeing your work! 🤓

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Special thanks to @simgans.bsky.social for great feedback on my first chapter, and to all the wonderful people in the Institute more widely, including @marthe.bsky.social with whom we finally were able to meet in person after all these years - long overdue and looking forward to the next one! 😁

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JP Fassnidge @drfassnidge.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

After a month and a half as a visiting fellow at the Max Planck Institute in Freiburg, I leave with great memories, renewed friendships, and an almost complete manuscript draft for my book. Thanks to @phirsch.bsky.social and everyone in the Criminal Law Theory Research Group for a wonderful time!

The cloudy but still sunny city skyline of Freiburg from the Schlossberg, with the Münster as the main building in view.

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