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Joshua Rozenberg

@joshuarozenberg.bsky.social

18K followers 74 following 584 posts

KC (hon). UK's most experienced full-time legal commentator. Honorary bencher, Gray's Inn. Former solicitor (non-practising). Writes at rozenberg.substack.com

Posts Replies Media

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 23h

Consumers who ask an AI assistant to recommend a solicitor risk being directed to firms that have been fined by their regulator or even shut down, a report says today. It was researched by Blind Justice UK, a charity that seeks to improve access to justice. rozenberg.substack.com/p/need-a-goo...

rozenberg.substack.com

Need a good lawyer?

Don’t use AI unless you know how to ask searching questions

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Sudan’s military leaders built a stockpile of chemical weapons that they tried to conceal after chlorine bombs had been used against rebel forces, reports say. But no action appears to have been taken under an international treaty on chemical weapons. rozenberg.substack.com/p/chemical-w...

rozenberg.substack.com

Chemical weapons

What does the failure to investigate Sudan tell us about international law?

Reposted by Joshua Rozenberg

Dinah Rose KC @dinahrose.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Congratulations to all the new High Court judges, and especially David Pievsky KC. I admit it does make me feel a little old to see one of my former pupils on the Bench. But very proud.

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Ten new High Court judges have been appointed by the King — including some direct appointments to the court’s new Business and Property division, which replaces the Chancery division in a week’s time. rozenberg.substack.com/p/new-judges...

rozenberg.substack.com

New judges for old

Ten new appointments to the High Court of England and Wales

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A senior official from the Ministry of Defence will be called before an appeal judge on Friday to explain why 97 million unique records were not disclosed to the Afghanistan inquiry. rozenberg.substack.com/p/troubling-...

rozenberg.substack.com

Troubling and regrettable

Ministry of Defence discovers 97 million undisclosed records

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

We are not living in an era of change but a change of era, writes Richard Susskind in the 30th anniversary edition of his classic on the future of law. Not planning for artificial general intelligence would amount to “a dereliction of duty” by senior lawyers. rozenberg.substack.com/p/the-future...

rozenberg.substack.com

The future of law

And what every lawyer needs to know about AI

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

How can we harness the benefits of artificial intelligence “with safety at its heart”, the King asked yesterday. And how can we build international cooperation to achieve this “so no nation is left behind but the human race is left in place?” rozenberg.substack.com/p/the-king-a...

rozenberg.substack.com

The King and AI

Tech bosses receive royal warning of existential dangers

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

How can we harness the benefits of artificial intelligence “with safety at its heart”, the King asked yesterday. And how can we build international cooperation to achieve this “so no nation is left behind but the human race is left in place?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Eighty years after Sir Winston Churchill said that a Council of Europe should be established, its secretary general has warned its 46 members states, UK included, that the military weapons they are building today will outlast governments that commissioned them rozenberg.substack.com/p/security-t...

rozenberg.substack.com

Security through democracy

Council of Europe leader calls for unity at a time of rupture and war

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Government plans to reduce the availability of jury trial in England and Wales are likely to be amended, the justice secretary hinted yesterday. Alex Norris said “legislation very rarely looks the same at the beginning of the process as it does at the end”. rozenberg.substack.com/p/juries-wha...

rozenberg.substack.com

Juries: what next?

Come and tell me what to do, pleads Norris

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Catherine Atkinson MP has been elected to chair the influential House of Commons justice committee. She replaces Andy Slaughter MP, who is now solicitor general. rozenberg.substack.com/p/atkinson-w...

rozenberg.substack.com

Atkinson wins justice

Former minister becomes chair of Commons committee

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

New legislation is needed to regulate the use of AI says parliament's joint committee on human rights: the law should prohibit the development and provision of very powerful AI systems known as artificial general intelligence and artificial superintelligence. rozenberg.substack.com/p/city-law-v...

rozenberg.substack.com

City lawyers take on AI

As parliamentarians call for new legislation

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Who’s to blame for the Post Office scandal that saw innocent postmasters sent to prison for crimes which never happened? The lawyers accused of keeping Post Office executives in the dark? Or the Post Office executives accused of setting up lawyers to fail? rozenberg.substack.com/p/indefensible

rozenberg.substack.com

Listen now (26 mins) | Could lawyers have prevented the Post Office scandal?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Victims of crime would have a greater say in whether a prosecution is in the public interest under a new charging code to be issued for consultation by the Crown Prosecution Service today. rozenberg.substack.com/p/a-voice-fo...

rozenberg.substack.com

A voice for victims?

New charging code proposed for prosecutors

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

An employment judge who engaged in inappropriate sexualised behaviour towards female staff would have lost his job if he had not retired from office. The former judge, named as Christopher Gaskell, was found by a senior judge to have committed gross misconduct rozenberg.substack.com/p/employment...

rozenberg.substack.com

Employment judge unemployed

Tribunal judge engaged in inappropriate sexualised behaviour with female staff

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Congratulations to Lord Briggs of Westbourne, 71, who is to become the next president of the UK Supreme Court. Briggs will take up his new role in January, when Lord Reed of Allermuir retires. He will be the court’s fifth president since it opened in 2009. rozenberg.substack.com/p/briggs-sup...

rozenberg.substack.com

New president for the UK’s highest court

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Gavin Millar KC, the barrister who worked on the recent undercover investigation into Nigel Farage’s fundraising activities for Channel 4 News, has discussed party funding legislation on the Double Jeopardy podcast and said it needs to be strengthened. rozenberg.substack.com/p/impermissi...

rozenberg.substack.com

Impermissible donations

What can the law do to keep politicians — and reporters — within limits?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Andy Burnham’s attorney general Ellie Reeves KC MP has scrapped risk-averse legal guidance issued by her predecessor, according to today’s Times. Government lawyers may advise ministers to take decisions wherever there is at least a tenable legal argument. rozenberg.substack.com/p/take-risks...

rozenberg.substack.com

Take risks, ministers told

Government lawyers encouraged to be less cautious in their advice

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

As the world marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre, the UK’s most senior judges are preparing to deal with a claim that the collapse of the twin towers was not caused by al-Qaeda deliberately flying aircraft into them. rozenberg.substack.com/p/911-and-th...

rozenberg.substack.com

9/11 and the justices

Will the UK Supreme Court be considering a ‘fanciful’ conspiracy theory?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The mayor of London was the victim of a scam after he was convicted and fined for not taxing a 24-year-old Nissan Micra. In response, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has said his conviction will be annulled today. But how could this have happened? rozenberg.substack.com/p/mayor-scam...

rozenberg.substack.com

Was fast-track justice to blame? What needs to be done?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Two new reports take very different approaches to human rights. One commends article 2 for offering some justice to families of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster. The other criticises article 2 for jeopardising former SAS troops in Northern Ireland. rozenberg.substack.com/p/right-to-l...

rozenberg.substack.com

What has article 2 of the human rights convention ever done for people in the UK?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Hundreds more prisoners will be excluded from early-release schemes. The changes will apply in cases of manslaughter; causing death by drunk or dangerous driving; causing or allowing the death of a child; killing an emergency worker; and historic sex offences. rozenberg.substack.com/p/killers-de...

rozenberg.substack.com

Killers denied early release

Hundreds more prisoners to be excluded from planned schemes

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

A criminal court built over the course of a weekend “worked absolutely perfectly”, according to inspectors. Because courts martial may sit anywhere, the UK military court service has a fully equipped “court in a box” that it can set up in any suitable building rozenberg.substack.com/p/court-in-a...

rozenberg.substack.com

How the UK’s military court service can hold trials anywhere in the world

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

An immigration judge has demonstrated a robust approach to people who apply to remain in the UK but then fail to attend their tribunal hearings, even remotely. In two judgments, Judge Mulready explained why she had dismissed appeals in the appellants’ absence. rozenberg.substack.com/p/no-show-no...

rozenberg.substack.com

No show, no stay

Immigration judge delivers robust rulings in appellants’ absence

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Donald Trump has rebuffed an attempt by the BBC to obtain evidence from his family in response to his multi-billion dollar defamation claim. On Friday, lawyers for the US president urged a judge in Florida to dismiss what they described as a “cynical move”. rozenberg.substack.com/p/trump-rebu...

rozenberg.substack.com

Trump rebuffs BBC

President says court should not order his family to give evidence

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

A senior circuit judge has dismissed as “without merit” an argument that defendants charged with criminal damage should have been warned that terrorism might be treated as an aggravating factor if they were convicted and sentenced. rozenberg.substack.com/p/the-terror...

rozenberg.substack.com

The terrorist connection

Failure to warn defendants of higher sentences not unfair, judge rules

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

An offender who spent nearly 18 years in prison as the result of a legal error has been freed by the Court of Appeal. Niki Dean Haycock had been given an IPP sentence even though the offences he committed were not covered by IPP legislation then in force. rozenberg.substack.com/p/flaw-in-th...

rozenberg.substack.com

Flaw in the IPP system

Offender imprisoned for extra 18 years before legal error spotted and put right

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

If parliament gives enforceable legal rights to cohabitants in England and Wales, how should it define cohabitation? That seems to be emerging in one of the most difficult issues raised by the government’s plan to let cohabitants claim financial provision. rozenberg.substack.com/p/defining-c...

rozenberg.substack.com

Defining cohabitation

Lessons from Scotland

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

We’re building the future of user-centred design at HM Courts and Tribunals Service, says its impressively titled head of user-centred design, user experience and insight. It takes me back to the last time something like this was tried by the courts service. rozenberg.substack.com/p/the-online...

rozenberg.substack.com

The online court

Why it didn’t work last time

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Few British lawyers have a better understanding of genocide than Sir Howard Morrison KCMG CBE KC. On the latest episode of A Lawyer Talks, the international lawyer said he was concerned to see the definition of genocide being watered down in public discourse. rozenberg.substack.com/p/judging-ge...

rozenberg.substack.com

Judging genocide

Listen now | What a new consultative body might do for Congolese victims

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

While PC Andrew Harper’s killers wait to hear what proportion of their prison sentences they’ll spend in custody, his mother asked Andy Burnham yesterday not to “let us down again”. So it’s worth taking a closer look at options the prime minister has announced rozenberg.substack.com/p/preventing...

rozenberg.substack.com

Early prison releases

What options does the government now have?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

If two people live together for a while — and perhaps share a child — does that give them the same sort of rights as a married couple or civil partners? Most of my readers know that English law of England does not recognise common law marriage. But should it? rozenberg.substack.com/p/getting-ou...

rozenberg.substack.com

Getting out of the cohabit

It won’t be easy. But why impose it anyway?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Now updated.

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

What was in Donald Trump’s mind when he spoke to his followers ahead of the violent attack on the US Capitol in January 2021? That question has emerged as the latest preliminary issue in the US president’s multi-billion dollar defamation claim against the BBC. rozenberg.substack.com/p/trump-v-bb...

rozenberg.substack.com

Who’s winning now?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

The lord chancellor’s swearing-in ceremony “is effectively just for show”, Ministry of Justice officials are said to have told The Times. I’m not so sure. rozenberg.substack.com/p/just-for-s...

rozenberg.substack.com

What sort of lord chancellor will Alex Norris be?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Why has a chief constable been talking about challenging the decision to release two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers after they have served half their sentences in prison? Isn’t it normal for prisoners to be released half-way through their sentences, or earlier? rozenberg.substack.com/p/could-kill...

rozenberg.substack.com

Could killers serve longer?

Why were they told they would serve two-thirds in the first place?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

It is not in the public interest for the government to say whether ministers have criminal records, a tribunal has decided. There was a legitimate public interest in ensuring their suitability for office but that was outweighed by the need to preserve candour. rozenberg.substack.com/p/conviction...

rozenberg.substack.com

Conviction politicians

Where does the public interest lie?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

At six o’clock last Friday morning, when my most recent newsletter was published, we were still waiting to hear what Andy Burnham was planning to do about his predecessor’s plan to curtail the trial by jury. By Friday afternoon, we had an answer — of sorts. rozenberg.substack.com/p/burnham-li...

rozenberg.substack.com

Burnham listens

But what will he do?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

While we wait to hear what Andy Burnham is going to do about curtailing the right to trial by jury, the House of Lords justice and home affairs committee is trying to find out how much of an ordeal jury service can be and whether jurors need more support. rozenberg.substack.com/p/the-trauma...

rozenberg.substack.com

The trauma of jury service

Do jurors need more support?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

The co-founder of Palestine Action has been granted permission to appeal to the Supreme Court against a ruling by the Court of Appeal that then then home secretary had acted lawfully when she proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 last year. rozenberg.substack.com/p/palestine-...

rozenberg.substack.com

Palestine Action can appeal

UK Supreme Court to hold full hearing this autumn

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Amy Winehouse’s father “unreasonably advanced and aggressively pursued” a case against two friends of his late daughter that was “speculative, weak, opportunistic and thin”, a judge said. Mitch Winehouse was ordered to pay their costs on an indemnity basis. rozenberg.substack.com/p/you-know-i...

rozenberg.substack.com

You know I’m no good

Amy Winehouse’s father ordered to pay her friends’ legal fees

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

A High Court judge delivered a shouty message yesterday about respecting restrictions on the draft judgments. Mr Justice Fordham was ruling on what he described as “another case about the vital distinction between a court embargo and a journalism embargo”. rozenberg.substack.com/p/badger-tru...

rozenberg.substack.com

Badger Trust badgered

Judge issues bold type of warning after breach of trust

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Children aged from 10 to 17 are being arrested by the police and detained overnight in adult custody suites because more appropriate responses are not available, a major research project has found. The researchers recommend clearer guidance for police officers rozenberg.substack.com/p/cells-for-...

rozenberg.substack.com

Why do we arrest so many children?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

A recently-promoted partner at a leading UK-based global law firm is facing professional ruin, the Court of Appeal said last week, after being “played for a fool by a skilful and well prepared interrogator” acting covertly for his client’s litigation opponent. rozenberg.substack.com/p/stinger-st...

rozenberg.substack.com

But solicitor victim faces ruin

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Member states of the International Criminal Court will vote today on whether to fire the court’s suspended chief prosecutor Karim Khan KC for alleged sexual misconduct. He denies the allegations. rozenberg.substack.com/p/prosecutor...

rozenberg.substack.com

Prosecutor faces judgement

As court reluctantly drops one of his cases

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

The United Kingdom’s uncodified constitution must be safeguarded if it is protect the integrity of our democracy, public policy experts argue in a report published today. Also this morning: more ministerial changes at the Ministry of Justice rozenberg.substack.com/p/safeguardi...

rozenberg.substack.com

Safeguarding the constitution

And more ministerial changes at the Ministry of Justice

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Most legal posts now filled in government as new law officer and new minister announced: rozenberg.substack.com/p/filling-in...

rozenberg.substack.com

Filling in the gaps

Most legal vacancies now filled

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Victims' groups are deeply concerned by what they see as a move to shut down the public inquiry into undercover policing. How much difference will a duty of candour make to public inquiries? Two of the issues I discuss in the latest episode of A Lawyer Talks: rozenberg.substack.com/p/helping-wi...

rozenberg.substack.com

Helping with inquiries

By cutting them back?

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

A person “may not be recommended for appointment as lord chancellor unless he appears to the prime minister to be qualified by experience”. What experience qualifies Alex Norris MP for his appointment as lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice? rozenberg.substack.com/p/mr-norris-...

rozenberg.substack.com

Mr Norris changes jobs

While Ellie Reeves moves up

Joshua Rozenberg @joshuarozenberg.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

I have been speculating for some time that the new prime minister will not allow David Lammy and Lord Hermer KC to keep the top legal jobs in government. It emerged last Friday that they have not been receiving the constitutional advice they clearly needed. rozenberg.substack.com/p/carr-lays-...

rozenberg.substack.com

Carr lays down the law

And two members of Burnham’s government must listen carefully