From the Summit of the Moral High Ground

Alone against the world There is a form of gaslighting that goes far beyond the personal. It is not the quiet distortion of truth within a relationship, but something far more pervasive—something structural. It occurs when institutions that are supposed to uphold truth instead reshape it, and when that reshaped version is repeated so often that it hardens into accepted reality. This kind of societal gaslighting can emerge when the police assert a version of events that does not align with lived experience or observable truth, when courts reinforce that narrative through official findings, and when the press amplifies it without sufficient scrutiny. Over time, repetition gives the illusion of legitimacy. What begins as an assertion becomes a “fact,” not because it is true, but because it has been authoritatively declared and widely echoed. For the individual who knows otherwise, this creates a profound tension. It is not simply a disagreement—it is a collision between inner certainty an...

If you lived in medieval Europe and feared judgment, there was a solution: pay for it. Not to avoid sin—that still required repentance—but to soften the consequences. Indulgences offered a way, however imperfect, to manage what came after death. The system became so entrenched that it helped provoke the Reformation. When Martin Luther pushed back, he wasn’t denying judgment—he was insisting it couldn’t be bought, outsourced, or reduced to a transaction. Judgment, in other words, was personal.  That is precisely what has changed. Jersey’s Quiet Shift: From Responsibility to Process In modern Jersey, no one sells indulgences. But something more sophisticated has taken their place. When serious administrative failures occur—whether in planning decisions, safeguarding breakdowns, or the long shadow of historic abuse cases—the public is often told that: procedures were followed systems were under pressure lessons will be learned And yet, again and again, no i...

The execution of Jesus Christ is often framed as a tragic misunderstanding, a collision between religious disagreement and political circumstance. Yet historically, it is something far more direct: an act of state violence. Jesus was executed by the authority of Rome, under the governance of Pontius Pilate, using crucifixion—a punishment reserved not for theological error, but for those perceived as threats to order. But why does the state respond in this way to certain individuals? A common explanation is necessity—that the state must preserve stability, that it acts reluctantly but rationally to maintain order. This view, however, assumes that the state is fundamentally neutral or even benevolent. There is another, darker interpretation, one articulated by M. Scott Peck in his work People of the Lie . Peck defines evil not primarily as aggression or violence, but as a refusal to acknowledge one’s own faults. Evil, in this framework, is the active avoidance of truth about onesel...

English "customary" laws (the "Common Law") includes decisions of judges made according to legal "principles" for which there is no written legislation (Natural Law). European states with a Roman law heritage do not have this element as strongly in their law (Positive Law).   In Jersey, they love to pretend that they are special however, 'Norman Law' is fundamentally 'Roman Law'. How exactly English Common Law came to be adopted in Jersey as 'customary law' appears to have arisen following Magna Carta.   Yes all the rights of Magna Carta applied at some stage in Jersey, most have been superseded, some have been repealed in the UK (such as the Right to Trial by Combat) but I have personally experienced that although the Right to Trial by Combat is still extant in Jersey they will simply not allow you to exercise that right.   Natural Law in philosophy is system of right or justice held to be common to all humans and derived from natu...

I believe I have more experience that anyone in Jersey (which includes all Jersey advocates) of dealing with Human Rights matters - this should of course be concerning as it is a statement on how little human rights law matters to Jersey advocates. I have already made four applications to the European Court of Human Rights on my own behalf as well as some on behalf of others. Which is simply to say that I have made a lot of the usual mistakes which applicants make so you don't necessarily need to! It is really important to spread a deeper understanding of Human Rights particularly to those who are administrators of public law (i.e. the public servants). If you have no objections then I will post up some of my experiences - which you may or may not find interesting.

Melkor,  the Dark Lord, from Tolkien's Simarillion by Formenost I have been on a journey which has been both reflective and transformative. The monastic environment I have enjoyed for the past four years has allowed me the necessary space and time to dedicate myself to a deeper understanding of human motivations. Ultimately, it was a voyage of both self-discovery and achieving gnosis. By releasing self-blame I allowed myself to rise above a situation that once caused so much anger. This progression—from confusion, anger, and self-criticism to clarity, acceptance, and self-worth—was incredibly empowering. Reaching a place of peace and strength through such introspective work is a testament to both the supportive power of monastic life and to my own resilience. I knew how I ended up in the monastery, by choice. I did not like that others believed that they had been able to abuse their perceived authority over me and force me into something against my will. The first thirteen months o...