Dr Dean Knight
@drdeanknight
⟦ law + govt ⟧ ⟦ coffee + kai ⟧ ⟦ critic + conscience ⟧ ⟦ rugby + rugby ⟧ ⟦ rainbows + unicorns ⟧ — usual disclaimers apply
Great day on the tools, discussing some fab — or as my colleague Ignacio described them, “fantastic” — research projects and working manuscripts.
Wonderful day in the capital city for our LAWS522 student scholars at @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social to share and discuss their initial 5,000 word working papers — with feedback from their colleagues — on their way towards the eventual goal of a 12,000 word article.
Quite disappointed that my suggestion -- that our 3 official languages all be spelt out in the Constitution Act 1986 -- was passed over by officials and the committee in the English Language Bill select committee process. Sigh. www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/sub...
Who sets a damn 9am deadline on a Monday after a long weekend (and after I’ve been abroad for 3 weeks)… urgh.
For the trainspotters, working paper here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
It’s been a real treat to attend the Public Law conference 2026 in Cape Town this week — touting some #rantsandreckons on the idea of an integrity or court branch of government in Aotearoa New Zealand. 🤓
So… our Parliament in New Zealand amended our constitution today under urgency on a Saturday afternoon (2nd, CoW, 3rd readings) and barely anyone noticed.*
A fun panel on unwritten constitutionalism — convened by Brian and Ed (obscured in our team selfie by my shadow…). 🤓
Great couple of days with the constitutional trainspotters at @icon-s.bsky.social at UCD in Dublin.
Looking forward to @icon-s.bsky.social’s annual conference this week at Uni College Dublin. It’s a jamboree — with over 2k delegates — but a great opportunity to chew the fat with fellow public law trainspotters. Shout out if you’re about — always keen for bilateral or multilateral coffees etc. 🤓
My hoamahi from @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social, Dr Ignacio Giuffré, gives a splendid paper — “the comparative turn in political process theory” — at the RECONNET conference at the @uniofsurrey.bsky.social. 🤓
✈️ #conferencedutyabroad Please don’t break the constitution while I’m gone… 😅