Not even sure what to tweet about the US. I'm watching in horror and sadness. Trump is a terrible president and politician but a consummate rabble rouser. Those who have enabled him knew who he was and what he represented. I just hope this ends soon and democracy prevails.

The 'rule of law' which we lawyers bleat on about is a real, hard edged thing. It's one of those things which people take almost entirely for granted in democracies - that rules matter, that power is peacefully transferred, that power is ultimately subject to the law.

The rule of law is the air we breath in democracies. It is often invisible but emerges from institutions and norms. It dissipates slowly as they are attacked by people like Trump who care more for power than democracy. We are *all* responsible for keeping it alive

But democracy isn't separate from the people who live in a democracy - it is us, the demos. It's wrong to assume democracies exist in laws, institutions, grand buildings or lofty constitutions. Unless we, the people, uphold democracy it corrodes then all of a sudden collapses

“Democracies do not become Nazi countries in one day. Evil progresses cunningly… one by one freedoms are suppressed, in one sphere after another. Public opinion and the entire national conscience are asphyxiated...

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And then, then everything is in order, the ‘Führer’ is installed and the evolution continues even to the oven of the crematorium. It is necessary to intervene before it is too late.” - Pierre-Henri Teitgen, a founder of the European Court of Human Rights

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