By Julian Roberts, Emeritus Professor of Criminology, University of Oxford
“We have decided that we do need to change your sentence.” With those words, Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr delivered the Court of Appeal’s ruling on two teenagers convicted of multiple rapes, overturning the non-custodial sentences the trial court had originally imposed. After hearing arguments from the crown and the defence advocates, the court concluded the original sentences were unduly lenient, and increased them to four years’ detention in a young offender institution.
Courts of all levels can err when determining sentence. The appeal process exists to prevent excessively harsh or…
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By Human Rights Watch
Click to expand Image A young protester raises a poster, “Today still discriminatory?” with the love rainbow sign during the Women’s March rally in March 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia. © 2023 Andreas Harsono/Human Rights Watch (London) – Harassment and attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) university students in Indonesia escalated during the June 2026 Pride Month celebrations, Human Rights Watch said today. At least 10 public universities have recently adopted discriminatory regulations and are curbing student media coverage and social media discussions around…
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By Erin Beeston, Research Associate Autism@Manchester, University of Manchester
When Pixar introduced Toy Story audiences to Bonnie, she was simply the little girl who inherited Woody, Buzz and the gang from Andy at the end of Toy Story 3 (2010). But for many autistic families, Bonnie has become something more: a character whose experiences feel surprisingly familiar.
Pixar has never described Bonnie as autistic. She was created to represent the challenges many children face as they grow up and encounter new social situations. But her difficulties with change, her anxiety around friendships…
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By Eric Vandenburg, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Isotope Geochemistry, Adelaide University
In the 45°C heat of the midday April sun, I swing my sledgehammer into the terracotta-varnished lobes of pillow basalt overlooking a sparse, almost Martian landscape.
Up close, the rock is freckled with small spheres or varioles, a texture that forms in wet magmas. It’s hard to fathom that this lava cooled when Earth was young, and has barely changed since.
Western Australia’s Pilbara Craton is probably the last place you’d expect to learn anything about the role water played in shaping our planet. It’s one…
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By Katherine Davey, Research Fellow, Manchester Metropolitan University
Lisa Russell, Professor of Education and Employment, Manchester Metropolitan University
Education is compulsory for children in England, but schooling is not. Parents are legally entitled to provide an education for their children at home. This is often known as home schooling, though in policy terms, the Department for Education uses the phrase “elective home education”.
The inclusion of the word “elective” in government terminology implies…
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By Joshua James Bailey, Illuminate Fellow, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast
Hugh O'Connor, Research Fellow, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast
Harnessing renewable resources such as wind and solar energy is vital for the green transition. But these renewables are intermittent and unpredictable. It’s impossible to control when the wind blows and when the sun shines.
Currently, we don’t have to rely on the weather to boil a kettle. That’s largely thanks to our use of fossil fuels. To break our reliance on this finite and polluting source of power, we need to be able to store vast amounts of renewable energy…
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By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University
Sitting for more than 30 minutes at a time is linked to a higher risk of dying from cancer, while breaking up long sitting spells with light activity appeared to lower that risk, according to new data. But media reports of the study left many questions unanswered. Here’s what you need to know.
What did this study actually find?
The main message is simple: it’s not just how…
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By Xin Chen Cai, Teaching Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Modelling, University of Hull
Xin Ying Lim, Interdisciplinary Doctoral Researcher in English Literature and Indigenous History, University of Hull
In the 400 years since his death, William Shakespeare’s work has been used as a lens through which to interpret countless developments he could never have anticipated – from modern psychology and political theory to colonialism and climate…
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By Alexander Titov, Lecturer in Modern European History, Queen's University Belfast
The question now is whether Russia’s economic difficulties will lead to mass protests and a split among the elites as happened in late Soviet times.
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By Anna Barford, Research Professor, Language Technology Lab, University of Cambridge
Anthony Mugeere, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Makerere University
Giulia Occhini, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Language Technology Lab, University of Cambridge
Until now, there has been little evidence of how young people in middle- and low-income countries use and feel about AI.
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