About
The remark in passing
An obiter dictum is a judge's remark made in passing: the part of a judgment that is not binding law but is very often the most memorable, human, and quotable observation the court makes. That is a fairly precise description of what this publication looks for. Every case has a formal holding, and somewhere alongside it, the part of the story that everyone actually remembers.
Obiter Dictum tells the legal stories behind the things you didn't think needed a lawyer: moisturiser jars, pop-up greeting cards, crustless sandwiches, octagonal watches, and the increasingly complicated question of who owns what a machine makes. The law arrives through the objects and moments people already have a relationship with, explained plainly and without condescension, because the reader should understand the law well enough to have an opinion about it.
I am a UK-qualified solicitor with far too many years of experience in technology, intellectual property and commercial law. I hold IAPP certifications in both AI Governance (AIGP) and Information Privacy (CIPP/E). I speak regularly at conferences on AI governance and legal technology. Although I live in Dubai, it's likely that the small plastic contents of my bathroom shelf will feature in these pages more often than the panoramic skyline.
Articles publish regularly on Substack, with the podcast and information videos arriving here through 2026.
Obiter Dictum is a personal publication. It has no connection to any employer, past or present. Nothing here is legal advice; it is commentary and analysis drawn from publicly available primary sources. If you have a legal problem, instruct a lawyer who can hear the whole of it.