Sport must safeguard participants and ensure equity and fairness, but this must be done based on science and fact and not as a kneejerk reaction to political or cultural pressure. Today I have written to Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, whom I deeply admire and whose election I celebrated just over a… Continue reading Protecting women’s sport: a line drawn too bluntly – my message to the IOC President
Author: C E Lord
British basketball’s future requires reform and major investment in the women’s game
Last night I was courtside to see the Great Britain women’s basketball team victorious over Austria in a Women’s EuroBasket 2027 qualifying match. The GB players were full of talent and enthusiasm and the atmosphere in the arena was fantastic. Hundreds of fans, including large numbers of young girls, many of whom were clearly basketball… Continue reading British basketball’s future requires reform and major investment in the women’s game
Beyond medals: why the Paralympics change the world
Standing in Cortina d’Ampezzo at the start of the Winter Paralympic Games this week, surrounded by athletes, officials and supporters from across the world, I was reminded once again why the Paralympic movement matters so profoundly. There are sporting events that entertain us.There are sporting events that inspire us.And then there are the Paralympic Games,… Continue reading Beyond medals: why the Paralympics change the world
Courts and Tribunals Bill: Justice must not be a casualty of convenience
Yesterday’s debate in the House of Commons on the Courts and Tribunals Bill has prompted significant concern among those who care deeply about the integrity of our criminal justice system. Having served for more than twenty-three years as a Justice of the Peace in London, including eighteen years as a Presiding Justice in some of… Continue reading Courts and Tribunals Bill: Justice must not be a casualty of convenience
Stop the War: The case for law, restraint and independent British leadership
Last Saturday, I wrote a piece titled War Is Not Liberation: A Plea for Restraint, Law and the Protection of Civilians. In it I argued that military escalation in the Middle East risked inflicting terrible harm on ordinary people while undermining the framework of international law that exists to restrain the use of force. Sadly,… Continue reading Stop the War: The case for law, restraint and independent British leadership
War is not liberation: a plea for restraint, law, and the protection of civilians
The past hours have brought deeply alarming news of military strikes by the United States and Israel against targets inside Iran, followed by retaliatory missile attacks by Iran across the region. The speed with which this escalation has unfolded is frightening. The human consequences, as always, are borne not by political leaders but by ordinary… Continue reading War is not liberation: a plea for restraint, law, and the protection of civilians
A Church living without love: the CofE’s failure to include LGBTQ+ Christians
Yesterday I sat in the public gallery at Church House and watched the Church of England step back from the modest, careful and prayerful work of Living in Love and Faith, which was meant to move towards providing a loving Christian welcome for LGBTQ+ people in England’s established Anglican faith. I left feeling numb. Not… Continue reading A Church living without love: the CofE’s failure to include LGBTQ+ Christians
25 Years at Guildhall: opening doors in the City of London and beyond
Twenty‑five years ago, at the age of 29, I walked into Guildhall as a newly elected Common Councillor with far more opinions than experience and a touching faith that if one simply memorised the Standing Orders, everything would turn out all right. I still believe that last bit, although experience has taught me that rules… Continue reading 25 Years at Guildhall: opening doors in the City of London and beyond
Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
There is currently a great deal of noise, heat, and misinformation about what the law requires when it comes to trans inclusion in single-sex services and organisations. Much of it is being driven by a highly organised and aggressive campaign by Sex Matters, which has taken to threatening legal action against a wide range of… Continue reading Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
This morning’s High Court judgment refusing the judicial review application brought by Sex Matters against the City of London Corporation is an important moment for common sense, good governance, and decency. At the same time, the publication of the Corporation’s consultation on future access to the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds tells a powerful and hopeful… Continue reading Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
C. E. Lord OBE 