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Bob Morris

Honorary Senior Research Associate, Constitution Unit, UCL
After infantry National Service, Bob Morris studied History at Christ’s College, Cambridge, before becoming a Home Office career civil servant.

Over nearly 40 years, his work spanned the normal departmental duties of, for example, immigration, prisons, policing and public control and protection functions. He was also involved in legislation and state litigation, acting as private secretary to Home Secretaries and as a secretary to public inquiries - in Northern Ireland and on the UK prison services. One of his later Home Office posts had responsibility for the Home Secretary's then constitutional functions which included certain royal, ceremonial and ecclesiastical matters.

At the Constitution Unit, Bob has been involved with a variety of interests. Latterly he has tended to concentrate on ecclesiastical and royal issues, for example on the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, at the same time contributing to the study on Commons Public Bill Committees led by Meg Russell.

He is currently working with Professor Robert Hazell on a monarchy project focused on the condition of the European monarchies. The work has produced the Unit reports No 170 The Queen at 90: The Changing Role of the Monarchy, and Future Challenges, published 2016, plus No 180 Swearing in the New King: The Accession Declarations and Coronation Oaths, and No181 Inaugurating a New Reign: Planning the Accession and Coronation, the latter two both published May 2018. Following a March 2019 seminar, it is planned to publish an edited book on European monarchy - 'The Role of Monarchy in Modern Democracy' - in July 2020.

Coronavirus: how Europe's monarchs stepped up as their nations faced the crisis

Apr 13, 2020 15:26 pm UTC| Politics

The British Queens address to the nation on Sunday, April 5 evoked huge interest, respect and widespread appreciation. Nearly 24 million people in the UK watched her deliver the four-minute speech, which paid tribute to...

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: why half in, half out just isn't an option for royals

Jan 14, 2020 00:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Entertainment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markles decision to step back from royal duties has been described as a crisis for the monarchy, but they are the ones who are most likely to suffer the damage. Members of the royal family are in...

Economy

Nigerians throw naira notes around to show love: but it could land you in jail

The legal implication of physically damaging the naira, Nigerias currency, came into focus recently with the prosecution of at least two celebrities by the countrys Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Nigeria has a...

The US is one of the least trade-oriented countries in the world – despite laying the groundwork for today’s globalized system

Given the spate of news about international trade lately, Americans might be surprised to learn that the U.S. isnt very dependent on it. Indeed, looking at trade as a percentage of gross domestic product a metric...

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

Economist Chris Richardson on an ‘ugly’ inflation result and the coming budget

With Jim Chalmerss third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief beyond the tax cuts although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As this weeks consumer price...

Politics

Sudan’s civil war is rooted in its historical favouritism of Arab and Islamic identity

The current civil war in Sudan goes beyond a simple power struggle between two generals. It reflects a deep-rooted crisis within the countrys governing structure thats been present since it gained independence from the...

South Africa’s youth are a generation lost under democracy – study

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa recently painted a rosy picture in which the countrys youth democracys children had enormous opportunities for advancement, all thanks to successive post-apartheid governments led...

Sadiq Khan on track for third term as London mayor – but nearly half of Londoners dissatisfied with performance

Polls have consistently shown that the incumbent mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appears to be on track to win a third term in office at the upcoming mayoral elections on May 2. One poll we commissioned as part of our...

The politics stopping the UK from opening a youth mobility scheme with Europe

Earlier this week, it seemed possible that young people in the UK might soon be able to travel freely to work and live in Europe again. The European Commission laid out proposals to open mobility to millions of 18- to...

Biden administration tells employers to stop shackling workers with ‘noncompete agreements’

Most American workers are hired at will: Employers owe their employees nothing in the relationship except earned wages, and employees are at liberty to quit at their option. As the rule is generally stated, either party...

Science

IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects

About a trillion tiny particles called neutrinos pass through you every second. Created during the Big Bang, these relic neutrinos exist throughout the entire universe, but they cant harm you. In fact, only one of them is...

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Dark matter: our new experiment aims to turn the ghostly substance into actual light

A ghost is haunting our universe. This has been known in astronomy and cosmology for decades. Observations suggest that about 85% of all the matter in the universe is mysterious and invisible. These two qualities are...

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Technology

Huawei's Mate 70 Series to Run on Kirin 9100 Chip: AnTuTu Scores Equal Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

Rumors swirl around Huaweis upcoming Mate 70 flagship series, hinting at a groundbreaking inclusion: the Kirin 9100 chipset. Initial performance figures suggest the chip matches Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, setting the...

Kraken's Bold Move: Expanding into Germany with DLT Finance Partnership

Cryptocurrency giant Kraken makes waves with its strategic decision to launch operations in Germany, a pivotal move in its broader European expansion plan. Teaming up with DLT Finance, a regulated financial institution,...

Macron's France Targets Fourfold Increase in EV Sales by 2027; Welcomes BYD Factory Plans

France has announced plans to quadruple EV sales by 2027. The agreement, enhancing Frances position against global competitors, aligns with a state visit from China, spotlighting potential collaborations with major...

Shiba Inu Insider Urges Focus on SHIB and BTC Amid Market Rally

In a recent wake-up call, Lucie of the Shiba Inu team urged the cryptocurrency community to closely monitor Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Bitcoin (BTC) as both tokens exhibit strong price recoveries. This comes amid growing...

Is China Opening Doors to Bitcoin ETFs? Investor's Comment Sparks Debate

Following the recent launch of Bitcoin ETFs in Hong Kong, speculation is mounting over potential access for mainland Chinese investors. Richard Byworth, a prominent Bitcoin investor, suggested that these ETFs could soon be...