The Law Show
Weekly conversation that will give you an in-depth understanding of the law stories making news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it's unpicking a landmark legal ruling, explaining how laws are made or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.
Episodes
Political donations and the law
The Representation of the People Bill 2026 is in the King’s Speech which means it’s on the Government’s legislative agenda and is going through Parliament. The Bill covers parliamentary ballots cross the UK, and contains sweeping changes, including giving 16 and 17 year-olds the right to vote in a general election and referendums.The Bill also aims to strengthen the rules around political donation
Why were three teen rapists not given custodial sentences?
Note: this episode contains frequent references to rape, sexual assault and physical assault. There's been public confusion and outrage over the sentences given to three teenage boys, who were convicted of rape. In November 2024 and January 2025, two girls, then aged 15 and 14, were attacked in separate incidents in Fordingbridge, Hampshire, by two 14-year-olds. Another boy, then 13, was also conv
The Renters Rights Act - In Detail
The Renter’s Rights Act came into force at the start of May, and it marked the biggest change to how private rentals work in England in a generation. There are a host of new protections and legal entitlements for renters, and many potential pitfalls for landlords to consider. Assured shorthold tenancies have been abolished, and have automatically been converted into rolling tenancies - sometimes k
How tough are the UK's asylum laws?
The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s Restoring Order and Control policy is underway. It's based - in part - on measures carried out in Denmark which cut asylum claims there to a 40 year low. From now on in the UK, people granted asylum - refugees - will face a review every two and a half years. If their country of origin is regarded as safe, they may be encouraged, or even forced, to go back. Th
When is it legal to go to war?
Under international law, when can a country declare war on another?Was it legal for Israel and the United States to have carried out "pre-emptive" airstrikes across most of Iran’s provinces, which started the war? The USA says the attacks were justfied, because of an imminent threat from Iran's nuclear programme, and Israel claims it acted in self-defence. The Israeli President went further - tell
Is it legal for police to use live facial recognition technology?
The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she makes “no apology” for announcing the roll-out of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) to all the police services in England and Wales. Under a government white paper on policing, the number of Live Facial Recognition vans will increase from 10 to 50. Police say it’s groundbreaking technology in the fight against crime, but civil liberties groups say it’s au
The plans to limit jury trials in England and Wales
The courts system in England and Wales is in an unprecedented crisis. The backlog has reached 80,000 cases, and some defendants are being told they won't be able to have a criminal trial until 2030. The government has introduced the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which contains a raft of measures to tackle delays and bring down the backlog; but the Justice Secretary David Lammy has admitted that thing
What is Misconduct in Public Office?
The former US ambassador Peter Mandelson is on bail after being arrested on suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office. Police have been investigating claims that when he was Business secretary, he shared market-sensitive government information with the financier Jeffrey Epstein. His arrest comes a few days after police arrested Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, also on suspicion of Misconduct in Public O
The law under fire
Politically motivated attacks on the legal profession in the UK have led to barristers, solicitors, advocates and judges being subjected to violence, death threats and rape threats. Some have faced threats to their family members. This is according to the The Bar Council of England and Wales, the Law Society of England and Wales, the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates, the Bar of No
The court delays crisis
When the Labour government came to power in 2024, it faced a crisis in the criminal courts, with ever-longer delays and a growing backlog of cases. The Ministry of Justice's budget is now one third higher in real terms than in 2019, but according to the latest figures, crown court cases that are yet to be heard reached a record high of 78,329. In October, the Justice Secretary David Lammy promised
Immigration and the law - who stays? Who goes?
Immigration has dominated headlines for months, but what UK laws cover this most emotive of issues? When someone arrives here, what are the legal routes they have to take if they want to stay in the UK? What's the legal difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee? What does "indefinite leave to remain" mean? And what's the difference between being deported, being removed and being extradit
How can avoidable deaths be prevented?
The phrase “State related deaths” might mean little to the average person, but it's an umbrella term referring to a death in custody or a mental health setting. It also applies to situations when people have taken their own lives while in the armed forces or even to disasters like Grenfell or Hillsborough. What all these have in common is that they are followed by inquests or public inquiries, whe
Should killers be forced to attend sentencing hearings?
The Victims and Courts Bill is progressing through Parliament, and will force convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings. If criminals convicted of the most serious offences in England or Wales refuse to attend, or are disruptive in court, they will face an extra two years in prison. There are other sanctions too, including missing out on family visits.‘Reasonable force’ can also be
Wrongful convictions: why private prosecutions face reform
Wrongful convictions in the Post Office scandal and for train fare evasion have been described by the Government as ‘catastrophic failures’, and it's held a consultation in England and Wales to reform private prosecutions. It covers private prosecutions brought by organisations, and also, the SJP - the single justice procedure - where a minor criminal offence is decided by a magistrate behind clos
My data's been stolen in a cyberattack - can I sue?
What legal responsibilities does a company have to keep your data secure?M&S, and the Co-op are picking up the pieces after their systems were hacked. The cyber criminals claim to have the private information of 20 million people who signed up to Co-op's membership scheme, but the firm have not confirmed that number. The Co-op says the breach did not include members’ passwords, bank or credit
Death and the Law in England and Wales
When someone passes away - legally, what do you have to do?In this episode, Dr Joelle Grogan and guests look at the host of legal obligations that have to be considered in England and Wales from declaring a death, to the circumstances in which a coroner becomes involved, dealing with a dead person’s estate and the grant of probate.Note that in Scotland, different laws and rules apply. The Procurat
The human cost of court delays
Justice delayed is justice denied - the court backlog in England and Wales has reached a record high and suspects being charged with new offences are regularly told they may not get a trial until 2027. Some courts are already booking court dates for 2028. The government has commissioned an independent review of criminal courts to work out how to cut waiting times. A victim of crime and a criminal
Genocide, war crimes and justice
Since the October 7th attacks by Hamas on Israel, and the IDF military invasion of the Gaza strip, terms like 'war crimes', 'crimes against humanity' and 'genocide' have been used when discussing the conflict.Warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court in the Hague for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas commander Moham
Expert witnesses in criminal trials
Lucy Letby is serving 15 whole-life sentences after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester hospital - with two attempts on one of her victims - between June 2015 and June 2016. But a campaign to clear her is being led by 14 medical experts who say there is no medical evidence for murders or attacks on those babies in her ward at t
Joint enterprise - what is it and why is it controversial?
A parliamentary inquiry has just started work into the law around Joint enterprise.Joint enterprise is contentious because if a person is seen to be involved in a crime, from knowing about it, to egging someone on, being present, or even being able to predict that someone is likely to use a weapon like a gun - then they could be considered as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger. It has a l
Miscarriages of justice and the CCRC
The job of the Criminal Cases Review Commission - or CCRC - is to investigate cases where people may have been wrongfully convicted of a crime in the criminal courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The CCRC has faced criticism over it's actions - or lack of action - in a high-profile miscarriage of justice. In April this year, the CCRC offered an unreserved apology to Andrew Malkinson. He
Inside the Family Courts
Last year, more than a quarter of a million cases started in Family Court in England and Wales. Yet, to most people, the way they work is a mystery. Traditionally, they were always held in private, because they discuss sensitive information about peoples' personal lives, and to protect children from harm.Since 2009 reporters have been allowed to attend hearings. But they weren't allowed to tell an
The Renters' Rights Bill
In this new series of the Law Show, Dr Joelle Grogan and guests look at the legislation that affects your life. One of the flagship pieces of legislation for the Labour Government is the Renters' Rights Bill - scrapping no-fault evictions, and imposing new obligations and penalties on rogue landlords. How will it benefit tenants and affect landlords? Also on the programme: a raft of new laws are c
Traumatised jurors, prenups and Japanese knotweed
Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan to give you an in-depth understanding of the law stories making news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. This week:
Traumatised jurors: new research has found that as much as half of people who serve on the juries of gruesome criminal trials, such as child murders or rape, can suffer symptoms of vicarious psychologica
Sewage-polluted waters, Divorce and financial orders, Leasehold reform
Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan about the law stories making the news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it’s explaining a new law or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.This week:Water: from the cryptosporidium outbreak in tap water in Devon, to E. coli bacteria in the Thames, and sewage in rivers, lak
Assisted dying, County court judgments, Drill music and ... nakedness
Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan about the law stories making the news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it’s unpicking a landmark legal ruling, explaining how laws are made or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.This week:Assisted dying. Jersey, the Isle of Man, and Scotland are all taking steps toward
Protest, Lasting power of attorney and the Green belt
Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan that gives you an in-depth understanding of the law stories making the news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it’s unpicking a landmark legal ruling, explaining how laws are made or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.This week: Protest law has been tightened up a lot in
Introducing The Law Show
It’s a practical guide to navigating the law. Each week Joelle will be joined by a family of experts to offer in-depth understanding of the legal issues making the headlines, and explain how they affect us. Whether it’s unpicking a landmark legal ruling, explaining how laws are made or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.
The Lady Chief Justice
Dame Sue Carr, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, is the first Lady Chief Justice, the first woman to hold the role. She gives her first broadcast interview as head of the judiciary of England and Wales to Law in Action, for its farewell edition. She speaks about her priorities, hopes, and concerns, and marks the end of Law in Action by looking back at 40 years in the law. She also picks her fa
Criminal damage defence limited
Following a Court of Appeal ruling this week about a case referred to the senior judges by the Attorney General, those charged with criminal damage for actions like throwing red paint at a building as a protest, can no longer use a certain defence to be acquitted. Parliament had intended the defence for different circumstances. Protesters used to be able to claim that had the owners of the damag
Fighting Knife Crime
How do we prevent young people from becoming involved in knife crime? Joshua speaks to 'Jay' who began carrying a knife in his early teens before being helped to change his perspective, and his life.We explore the link between school exclusions and crime, and hear that workshops using graphic evidence to deter young people from carrying a knife can be counterproductive. We also find out about
The Post Office scandal
The Post Office scandal is one of the UK's most widespread miscarriages of justice, with hundreds of people wrongfully convicted of theft or false accounting. In most of these cases, the Post Office was the investigator, prosecutor and the alleged victim.Did Post Office lawyers act unethically by failing to disclose evidence that might have helped the people they were prosecuting? Might they face
Jury conscience, resolving conflicts in space, and the law of Treasure Trove in Scotland
Can juries acquit a defendant as a matter of conscience? For example, if people are accused of causing criminal damage as part of a protest, could the jury find them innocent despite the judge's directions? Joshua speaks to Clive Dolphin from Defend our Juries; Richard Vogler, Professor of Comparative Criminal Law & Criminal Justice, University of Sussex, and Tana Adkin KC, Chair of the Crimi
Deepfakes and the Law
What if someone uses AI to create a fake version of your voice for their own aims? Recently, the actor, broadcaster and writer Stephen Fry found that someone had recreated his voice to narrate a documentary without his knowledge. What does the law have to say about deepfakes? What are your rights, and in which circumstances could someone be sued, or prosecuted? Associate solicitor Oliver Lock of
Prison sentences: too long or too short?
Last week, the House of Commons Justice Select Committee published a wide-ranging report about sentencing and public opinion. On the one hand, it said we shouldn't ignore what people think. On the other hand, MPs found that many people didn’t understand how sentencing worked. The justice committee's own research confirmed this lack of understanding. The committee's chair, the Conservative MP Sir B
Exporting prisoners, is Joint Enterprise racist, and Gaza-Israel
Following the events of the 7th October in which around 1400 people were killed in Israel and over 200 taken hostage, Israel has been striking back against Hamas in Gaza. What does international law say about self-defence and proportionate responses to attacks? Joshua Rozenberg asks expert Professor Guglielmo Verdirame KC of Kings College. The government is proposing to rent prison space abroad,
The new Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, Alex Chalk KC MP
The new Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC MP speaks to Joshua Rozenberg. How does he respond to criticisms levelled at the reforms of the Parole Board proposed in the Victims and Prisoners Bill? And how does he reconcile his wish to "provide individuals with the due process which is the hallmark of our legal system" with some aspects of the Home Office's Illegal Mig
How well is the Parole Board protecting the public?
Is the Parole Board getting it right with prisoner releases? Last year, the then Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab thought not, and introduced reform proposals to, as he saw it, re-prioritise public protection and trust in justice. These proposals are in the Victims and Prisoners Bill that's now before parliament. But the Parole Board tell Joshua Rozenberg that public
Climate Change Challenging the Law
The law is having to deal with new challenges due to climate change. Is it a human right to be protected from global warming? Do the 46 member states of the Council of Europe have to reduce carbon emissions faster to protect their citizens' right to life? The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has been asked to rule on these questions. We hear about the case of the Swiss 'Klimaseniori
How to Improve Rape Trials
Conviction rates for rape trials are lower than those for other criminal trials, and the court experience can be intrusive and harrowing for survivors. The Law Commission of England and Wales (the independent body that advises the government on law reform), has just published a new consultation paper for how to change this. Criminal law commissioner Prof Penney Lewis, and before her Independent S
The Legacy of the Good Friday Agreement
For a special edition recorded on location in Belfast, Joshua Rozenberg returns to Northern Ireland 25 years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which he reported on at the time.
Meeting old contacts and new, he finds out what it took to get the negotiations over the line and what legacy the ground-breaking peace deal has had. He also hears about the challenges involved in achieving j
The State of Prosecutions
New evidence shows that if a rape case actually comes to court, then - despite popular perceptions - juries are more likely to convict than not, says Professor Cheryl Thomas of UCL. The UK’s forensic science used to be considered the gold standard, but no longer. The risk of miscarriages of justice is growing. And now a new Westminster Commission is trying to find out what went wrong. Joshua tal
Strikes Minimum Service Levels
There are strikes again this week, by junior doctors, and train and tube drivers. The government's Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) bill aims to require sectors like health, education and transport to provide a "minimum" of services even on strike days. It would let employers, including government departments, issue "work notices" - lists of which staff have to work on strike days. But how will t
Justice for Ukraine
A year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Joshua asks Attorney General Victoria Prentis MP and Professor Philippe Sands KC how the law can help to deliver justice for Ukraine. Could Russia's leaders be tried for the crime of aggression?What can be done about the form of potentially abusive litigation known as a SLAPP?Plus, we meet the Ukrainian lawyers brining their skills to the UK.Presenter:
Full-length interview with Robert Spano, recent president of the ECHR
The international lawyer Robert Spano, originally from Iceland, has just completed his nine-year stint as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. For the last two and half of those nine years, he was the president of the court.
In an exclusive interview with Joshua Rozenberg, he shares his thoughts on the relationship between the UK and the ECHR, on the Justice Secretary Dom
The UK and the European Court of Human Rights
Is the UK on a collision course with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg? So far the UK's relationship with the ECHR has been a good one, and the UK has proportionately fewer cases before the court than the other 45 member states. But might Justice Secretary Dominic Raab's Bill of Rights bill change that? Former judge Robert Spano, the president of the ECHR until last month, speaks t
Protest and the Law
Climate change activists have caused a lot of disruption over the past year, and recently also made headlines with stunts like throwing tomato soup at a Van Gogh painting in the National Gallery. The government's response has been to tighten up protest law; first in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and now in the Public Order bill currently going through Parliament. What is and is
Scrapping European law
The government is currently committed to a bonfire of laws which were inherited from the EU after Brexit - including things like the right to four weeks' paid annual leave. The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 requires government departments to check over 2400 laws; then decide which ones to keep, which ones to amend, and which ones to let disappear from the statute books. Those c
Secrecy in the Court of Protection?
How can a court decide that a young woman is to have medical treatment without her knowledge or that of her mother or guardian? The Court of Protection - which rules on cases involving 'protected' persons who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves - sometimes holds 'closed hearings' that are secret to one or more of the parties, and to the public. Why are those hearings used, a
Prison Education
Prison education is “chaotic”, says the House of Commons Education Select Committee, and often “inadequate” says Ofsted. Yet, if done right, it can help reduce offending, and the number of victims, by giving prisoners the skills they need to get a job upon release. It’s no small task. Over half of prisoners have reading ages below 11. A large proportion have special educational needs. Many were ex
Human Rights: Reforming the Law
Can the proposed British Bill of Rights be compatible with international law? Joshua Rozenberg speaks to Mark Elliott, Professor of Public Law and Chair of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge.How can law firms become more welcoming to people with disabilities? Law in Action's Octavia Woodward tests the wheelchair access at Barristers' Chambers 7 Bedford Row. Plus barristers Holly
Why do so few rape cases go to court?
Explaining the barriers to conviction at every stage of the criminal justice system. Prosecutions for the crime have declined by 40% over the last four years in England and Wales, although they have gone up in Scotland and Northern Ireland. And yet the number of cases reported to the police is higher than ever. What is going wrong? And what needs to change so that more survivors get justice - an
Investigating War Crimes in Ukraine
"We can't conduct effective, timely investigations by remote control in The Hague." International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan QC speaks about the efforts and challenges facing investigators on the ground in Ukraine. Why lawyers in Scotland are boycotting some domestic abuse cases in a dispute about legal aid. Plus, if you place a bet on a winning horse, does the bookmaker have to
The Justice Secretary's Plans
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab speaks to Joshua Rozenberg about the UK's support for the International Criminal Court's efforts to prosecute any Russians who may have committed war crimes in Ukraine. He outlines plans to boost the legal aid budget, and thus the incomes of criminal barristers - but when will they actually get any of the money? Mr Raab also explains why he is replacing the Human Rig
Libel tourism
Has silencing journalists with libel claims now become harder? The High Court dismissed a suit by a Kazakhstan company against journalist Tom Burgis, author of 'Kleptopia'. The phenomenon of foreign individuals or companies using the favourable libel laws and high financial risks of the system in England and Wales is sometimes called "libel tourism" or even "lawfare". Some fear it has allowed Rus
Gender recognition
Is Scotland's Gender Recognition bill a progressive step forward, or a threat to women? Joshua Rozenberg investigates the legislation, which removes the need for medical evidence when changing gender and reduces the age at which this can be done.
Lawyers in the City of London bring in billions of pounds to the UK economy. English law is popular overseas for its predictability and for the independ
Ukraine: war and law
How does international criminal law regard Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Joshua Rozenberg speaks to Professor Philippe Sands QC, whose grandfather was forced to flee the Ukrainian city of Lviv over a century ago .
Is our democracy being eroded by the government, by reducing parliament’s opportunities for scrutiny? Two reports from the House of Lords Select Committees, titled "Government by Diktat"
Trial and error
Joshua Rozenberg places under the microscope a controversial lawsuit aimed at the governing bodies of rugby. Players diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, believed to be the result of repeated concussions, claim the sport neglected their duty of care. Did they? He also hears polar opposite views on whether or not thousands more civilian magistrates should be recruited to our courts: Justice Had
Jailhouse Law
Joshua Rozenberg speaks to a former jailhouse lawyer about his time behind bars and the cases he tackled on behalf of his fellow inmates. He also hears from well-known broadcaster, Stephen Nolan, about the extraordinary steps he took in tracking down, and launching a libel action against, a social media troll. And Lord Pannick QC, one of the most successful barristers of his generation, discusses
False Memory
Joshua Rozenberg examines the phenomenon of false memories and the impact they can have on courtroom testimony. Can our recollections ever be trusted fully? And, if not, how profound are the implications for the criminal justice system?He speaks to Sir Andrew McFarlane, the senior family judge in England and Wales, about his plans to open up the family courts to reporting by accredited journalists
Judges in Jeopardy
Joshua Rozenberg speaks to women judges whose lives have been at risk since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. Forced to leave their high-profile careers behind, many are faced with an impossible dilemma: do they choose a potential escape to freedom? Or do they stay with their families, in hiding and on the run? Ahead of Cop26, Joshua wades into a burning debate on whether or not fossil fue
Fighting knife crime
Fighting knife crime before it happens; Scotland's "not proven" verdicts; and the law on automated cars. Knife crime in England and Wales is at its highest in ten years. Some young people can find it hard to resist gangs or knives for what they see as self-protection. Often they end up in the criminal justice system. Some argue the law is not the answer. But what is the alternative? We hear from a
E-scooting through the law
It’s illegal to ride a private e-scooter on public roads or pavements – but the rules for the new, council approved e-scooter rental schemes are different. We navigate the maze of laws and regulations to ask what’s allowed, required or illegal. Billionaires are about to fly into space, but what is the legal framework for this? What if your rocket hits my satellite? We boldly go into space law. Wh
Covid penalties
Thousands of people have received fixed penalty notices for breaching Covid-19 restrictions, even though no offence had actually been committed in their cases. Yet there is no appeals procedure, and not paying the fines risks a criminal record. So what should happen with them? Sir Geoffrey Vos, the master of the rolls and head of civil justice, reveals how new online systems are increasingly doing
Traumatic brain injury and crime
Traumatic brain injury can cause neurological changes that make people more impulsive, less able to control their reactions, and less able to understand others. Therefore it's associated with violent crime. An estimated 60% of those in prison have a history of brain injury. But is prison the best place for them, and their rehabilitation? The criminal justice system is taking an ever greater intere
Reforming Judicial Review
Judicial Review is a mechanism to check the legality of decisions or actions by public bodies such as the government or parliament. But has this turned into "politics by another means"? The government commissioned Lord Faulks and a panel of experts to examine this question, and to make recommendations for reform. The report was published last week. But does the government now want to go much furth
Can the law fight climate change?
Around the world environmentalists are taking governments and companies to court to fight climate change. Joshua Rozenberg explores how the law is evolving into a powerful activists' tool. In the first case of its kind, in a ruling that was upheld by the Dutch Supreme Court, the Netherlands were found to have a duty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% compared to 1990, and this by December o
Exclusive interview with the lawyer of Anne Sacoolas
Amy Jeffress, the US lawyer of Anne Sacoolas, speaks exclusively to Joshua Rozenberg, about the accident that led to the death of Northamptonshire teenager Harry Dunn, and its aftermath. Scotland needs the agreement of the Westminster-based UK government to hold a referendum about independence legally. So far Downing Street has indicated that the UK would not agree to a second referendum in the sh
Civil Justice for Harry Dunn?
A civil claim has been launched in the state of Virginia by the parents of Harry Dunn, who was killed in Northamptonshire in 2019 when his motorcycle was in collision with a car driven on the wrong side of the road by Anne Sacoolas. What are Harry's parents hoping to get out of it? Joshua Rozenberg speaks to their American lawyer. Picture Credit: Justice4Harry19The number of cases waiting to be tr
Jack Merritt's legacy
Remembering Jack Merritt, who was murdered in the attack at London Bridge in November 2019. He and Saskia Jones, who was also killed, were associated with an offender rehabilitation programme at Cambridge University called Learning Together. The murderer was a former prisoner attending a conference at Fishmongers Hall to mark its fifth anniversary. Earlier in 2019, Law in Action had interviewed J
Good advice
How has the North Kensington Law Centre managed to keep going for 50 years when other social legal advice providers have run out of money? One reason must be the vision of Peter Kandler, 85, who set up the UK’s first law centre in a former butcher’s shop and is still closely involved in running it today. He tells Joshua Rozenberg that, half a century on, the centre is now coping with housing and i
Fire Courts
The lessons of history: what the Great Fire of London can teach us about dealing with a modern plague. And, as the lord chief justice tells his judges to keep calm and carry on — despite the lockdown to be introduced in England on Thursday — we ask whether the Nightingale courts of England and Wales could learn a thing or two from the Odeon courts of Scotland. Joshua Rozenberg reports.Researcher:
The International Criminal Court
An independent investigation into the International Criminal Court has revealed examples of bullying, sexual harassment and judicial incompetence. Victims of war crimes are having to wait a lifetime for reparations. But, as Joshua Rozenberg has been hearing, those same victims are hugely grateful to a court that has given them a voice.And with a week to go before the presidential election, courts
Reinventing the law
How can the courts cope with the constraints of Coronavirus? That’s the challenge facing Lord Burnett of Maldon, head of the judiciary in England and Wales. Joshua Rozenberg asks the Lord Chief Justice whether new ways of working can deliver justice at a time of crisis.Among those innovations is mediation, Law in Action speaks to a court-based mediator and a court user whose case was resolved wit
Gambling with the law
A poker player who used a Victorian conjuring trick to win £7.7 million from a London casino left court empty-handed in 2017 after a court found he “took positive steps to fix the deck”. But now judges have decided that the ruling in Phil Ivey’s case should be the test for dishonesty. Joshua Rozenberg explains how it works, while a gambler tells us that the courts have got it wrong. Also this week
Justice in lockdown
Can virtual courts deliver justice? We speak to participants of a mock jury trial held by law reform group Justice, with legal teams and jurors replacing the courtroom with the sitting room. Scotland's second most senior judge, Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian, outlines how socially distanced jury trials can resume safely in July.And Joshua Rozenberg asks Director of Service Prosecutions Andrew Ca
Workplace law
Recent high-profile discrimination claims have cast a media spotlight on the employment tribunals of England, Wales and Scotland. But how good are they are at resolving disputes between employers and staff? How independent are they of the government? And how well have they recovered from fee increases that meant some employment judges had to move jobs?Why an autistic man’s experiments with explosi
Deferred Prosecution Agreements: pragmatic but unprincipled?
Earlier this year, Airbus was ordered to pay nearly €1bn by a criminal court in London. The penalty, for failure to prevent bribery, was more than twice the fines paid by defendants in England and Wales for the whole of 2018. In addition, the global aerospace company was required to pay fines totalling €2.6bn in France and the United States. But Airbus has not been convicted of any crimes and nobo
An Enterprising Court
Tucked away in the City of London is one of the UK’s most successful invisible exports. But is the Commercial Court threatened by international developments? Joshua Rozenberg investigates.Italy has extended its emergency coronavirus measures and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has ordered people to stay at home. Lawyer Mariella Melandri tells Law In Action how this is affecting her legal practice a
Supporting evidence
Imagine what it must be like to be a child with autism. Your school won’t give you the support you need. But challenging that decision involves giving evidence at a tribunal where the lighting seems dazzling and the air-conditioning sounds deafening. Joshua Rozenberg reports from a tribunal in Glasgow designed by children for children. He visits a unique sensory room designed to put children with
