Remember this? When I debunked a viral FB post with crazy claims about EU law?

People often asked me who was the source of this stuff. Well...
...I haven't found out the source of *those particular* crazy claims. But thanks to @EmporersNewC I have some news about some *similar* crazy claims.
Last night someone tried to prove that FB post was correct by er, just quoting it again. But then she linked to the "eutruth" website. I followed the link and...
@EmporersNewC tipped me off to find the site via the wayback machine - web.archive.org/web/2021022404…
It's a long, incoherent rant, so I'll give you the highlights. The Queen should be executed for treason. With added Germanophobia.
There's no "corpus juris" in force. The EU didn't set up admiralty courts.

But note that obsession with medical regulation. That's what the playwrights call "the gun in the first act"...
No idea if those numbers are correct, but no EU law prohibits prosecution of police officers.
The Queen won't be hanged alone - she'll be joined by civil servants, MPs and PMs...
...and maybe 1000 lawyers too.
Well, *somebody* enjoyed reading that bit
The first of many, many mentions of Hitler. But also communism. Drink!
You may recall that we have, in fact, had further elections after 2010
Immigrants! Do you have fewer than 8 children? Better get busy!

Unfortunately this segues straight into rabid Islamophobia
I bring you surprising news about the referendum. And even more surprising news about Nigel Farage and Nick Griffin.
There was convoluted CJEU case law on Sunday trading, but that's not where it ended up. But there's no EU law on sex education or "obscene homework". Perhaps more teenagers would do their homework if there were.
The death penalty for treason was "secretly" abolished. By an Act of Parliament you can find online in seconds (as he's correctly cited it, surprisingly) - legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/37/…
There's more along these lines, but let's move on to the author of this screed. Unlike the author of the FB post, he put his name on it: David Noakes.
Surprise! He has a conspiracy theory about (((you guys))) too. Ngl, I was hoping for ((((space lasers)))) here...cst.org.uk/news/blog/2014…
Yup, he was a candidate for the UKIP leadership. Note the glowing character reference
Let's move on to his encounters with the courts. A tribunal ruling of sex discrimination - which brings us back to his approach to medical regulation...
outsourcing-pharma.com/Article/2015/1…
Ultimately resulting in a criminal conviction and custodial sentence for selling unlicensed medicine - a supposed "cure" for cancer, HIV and autism
bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…
And a confiscation order for £1.3 million
bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…
He also faced trial in France, and legged it on bail from a European Arrest Warrant - but was eventually found, and the EAW was executed during the withdrawal agreement transition period
bbc.co.uk/news/world-eur…
Leading to a recent conviction, and a further custodial sentence, in France
I don't know how many people, besides my discussant last night, fell for the "eutruth" website. But I know that loads of people fell for the FB post, which is only relatively less deranged. We are where we are.
Evidence of other people failing for the "eutruth" website, via @Jim_Cornelius
A word from Siemens about (((that))) conspiracy theory
Looks like Noakes also has a link to the "UK Column" site, which reportedly does climate change denial (and perhaps covid stuff, in light of Ivor C) too -

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More from @StevePeers

24 May
UK government strategy paper on immigration policy now published -
gov.uk/government/pub…
One headline yesterday said EU citizens would be subject to travel authorisation. Misleading as some form of travel authorisation will apply to *all* visitors, except UK and Irish citizens.
There are no further details besides the scope and planned date of the rollout. Note that similar systems in the EU, US and Canada provide for a travel authorisation valid for several years, ie no need to apply for each visit during that period.
Read 6 tweets
20 May
CJEU, rule of law

New AG opinion: minister's power to remove secondment of judges to higher courts in Poland breaches judicial independence: curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/do…
CJEU, asylum law

New judgment: EU Member States cannot reject an asylum application as inadmissible simply because Norway previously rejected it - curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/do…
Although Norway applies Dublin rules, crucial point for CJEU is that it does not apply *other* EU asylum law
EU courts, pandemic law I

Legal challenge to EU approval of AZ vaccine: curia.europa.eu/juris/document…

(nb same applicant has already challenged EU approval of two other vaccines - so this is is *not* directed against AZ as such)

Potentially lacks standing to sue...
Read 4 tweets
18 May
Falsehood from Lord Frost. Waiving a visa requirement for short stays involving paid activities falls far short of free movement of people.
Lord Frost has been the chief Brexit negotiator for some time. It's hard to believe such a basic error is accidental. Whether it's gross incompetence or a deliberate lie, either should disqualify him from his post.
The problem with Brexity untruths isn't merely historical. They are now being deployed by these fanatics to damage any prospect of a closer relationship with the EU *as a non-EU country* - even if it damages a British industry, as it does here.
Read 5 tweets
18 May
German constitutional court backs off further challenge to European Central Bank following last year's judgment
Key reasons for the ruling in the press release - ECB and German government and Parliament have done enough to address concerns in the previous judgment
Very good summary of the legal background to today's ruling in this thread
Read 4 tweets
17 May
Folks who hate the EU arguing in a non-EU court that the EU has breached EU law. The interesting wrinkle though is that courts in the UK *can* refer questions relating to much of the Protocol to the CJEU.
In fact, arguably UK courts *must* refer questions about the protocol's compatibility with EU law to the CJEU, if they think it's invalid. That's the obligation for EU courts (Art 267 TFEU & case law), and the protocol extends Art 267 to UK courts re much of the protocol.
As for the human rights points, the freedom of expression (Art 10 ECHR) point is weak for reasons set out here -
But the free elections point (Art 3, protocol 1 ECHR) is sounder - cf Matthews v UK, where Gibraltar residents ought to get a vote re EU law.
Read 12 tweets
13 May
Time for a deep dive into the details of and issues in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill

Might be a longish thread - sorry
I'll be referring to the bill, the memorandum, and the explanatory notes.

The notes say (para 63) that the govt 'is publishing an ECHR memorandum which explains in detail its assessment of the compatibility of the Billʹs provisions with the Convention rights'

No sign of it yet
Read 60 tweets

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