Full Opinion and Dissent The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) today handed down their decision in King v Burwell 576 US (2015), that they heard earlier this year. It was the last major challenge to the Affordable Care Act (or ‘ObamaCare’) coming through the court system, and the Justices voted 6-3 to uphold the Act as it was currently in force. And, the … Continue reading ObamaCare Forever (maybe)…
…or a post where I really want you to read the footnotes. My brother has put a poster up on my wall. I don’t like it, but if I take it down he’s just going to moan. So I probably won’t take it down. But you see, he doesn’t trust me – it’s against his very nature to trust me, so he wants to make sure that I can’t take it … Continue reading A Permanent Parliament…
…or ‘Scots Law Strikes Again’. In Scotland, as I’ve said before, the burden of a court case is divided up. The Jury are the most important people in a court room, but they are the keepers of the facts. I’ve argued the sometimes that can lead to problems, but it remains that the jury determines the facts of the case. But the Judge is important too, … Continue reading Lies, Damned Lies and Juristics…
…or a shameless self promotion Today, at approximately 5pm, the late Margo MacDonald’s Assisted Suicide (Scotland) Bill, adopted by Partick Harvie, will most likely be defeated at Stage 1. it’ll mark the third time in as many Parliaments that a bill that would legalise Assisted Suicide would fail to pass. This bill in particular has come in for pretty harsh criticism, and the Committee hasn’t been … Continue reading The 3rd Death of Assisted Suicide…
…or how I developed a new respect for the Law Society. Last November the Law Society of Scotland (or ‘LSoS’) released it’s Discussion Paper on the Future of Legal Aid in Scotland, setting out what changes it felt could be made. At the time I, amongst others, came out pretty resolutely against many of the reforms they suggested, since I felt they would damage the ability for the … Continue reading Re-Solving Legal Aid…
What would getting rid of the Human Rights Act mean? Would it achieve what proponents believe, and what would it mean in a Scottish Context? Continue reading Repealing the HRA…
It will come as no surprise to anyone that I am voting Labour in this General Election. But I want to talk about why. I’m voting Labour because I believe, fundamentally, that the Labour Party is a force for good. Every government of change in this country has been a Labour government; and every Labour government has fundamentally changed this country for the better. In the … Continue reading Why I’m Labour
The 2015 General Election is one of uncertainties. Who will be the largest Party? Who will work with whom? Who will be Prime Minister? Will anyone be able to get enough support to pass that magic number of 326 (half the seat in the House of Commons +1) and form a Government? What does it mean if they can’t? With all this uncertainty, the possibility … Continue reading Elections, Prime Ministers and their Causes – Part 3
The 2015 General Election is one of uncertainties. Who will be the largest Party? Who will work with whom? Who will be Prime Minister? Will anyone be able to get enough support to pass that magic number of 326 (half the seat in the House of Commons +1) and form a Government? What does it mean if they can’t? With all this uncertainty, the possibility … Continue reading Elections, Prime Ministers and their Causes – Part 2
The 2015 General Election is one of uncertainties. Who will be the largest Party? Who will work with whom? Who will be Prime Minister? Will anyone be able to get enough support to pass that magic number of 326 (half the seat in the House of Commons +1) and form a Government? What does it mean if they can’t? With all this uncertainty, the possibility … Continue reading Elections, Prime Ministers and their Causes – Part 1
Paul Cruikshank 