Alex Benn is a lecturer in law at University College and St Catherine’s College, Oxford, and a barrister at Red Lion Chambers. Alex specialises in criminal and discrimination law.
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The International Court of Justice’s Order in South Africa v Israel
This blog considers the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) between South Africa and Israel. It summarises the court’s order, before looking ahead to the impact of the ruling and flagging key issues likely to arise ...
The Coronation, the Public Order Act 2023 and ‘Free Speech’
In recent years, a lot has been written about ‘the right to protest’ and ‘the right to free speech’ in the UK. Yet neither phrase appears in the latest Public Order Act, which became law on 2nd May 2023. The absence of those phrases ...
The ‘Colston Four’ and the Walls of Criminal Trials
Image Description: Statue of Edward Colston at Bristol. This statue was pulled down in 2020 by protestors during a Black Lives Matter march.
The acquittals of the ‘Colston four’ have been widely discussed. They serve as the perfect ...
Classism, Hate Crime and the Law Commission’s Consultation Paper 250: Lessons from Discrimination Law
In the context of hate crime, class has two main analytical roles. First, it can be a ground of hate crime in itself, though the current law fails to recognise that. Second, it can be a factor that increases the likelihood of ...
The UK Supreme Court and the Gay Marriage Cake: Is ‘Indissociability’ Half-baked?
Giving the judgment of the court in Lee v Ashers Baking Co (2018), Lady Hale discusses ‘indissociability’ when determining whether direct discrimination has occurred. Indissociability refers to circumstances in which the criterion ...
