From the Widgery inquiry into Bloody Sunday to Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly, public inquiries are a key part of British legal and political life. On this week's episode of Law & Disorder, Charlie guides Nicholas and Helena through the history of inquiries, and questions how the work. Are they too slow? Do they provide answers that would be unavailable through a criminal trial? And what does the future hold for ongoing inquiries, like Grenfell and covid? This...

Judges have been part of Britain's legal bedrock for many years. While they were often seen as operators bendable to the political will, they are now a key and independent part of the system. But is that under threat? In this episode of Law and Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn (himself a judge, until last year) along with Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer discuss the role of judges, their freedom from political interference, and whether the judiciary is insufficiently diverse to provide true...

On this week's episode of Law & Disorder, we're looking at the rights of unmarried people in the British legal system. What difference does it make for long-term, cohabiting couples whether they're married or not? Well, quite a lot it turns out. From common-law marriages on desert islands (not Bali, though) to Australia's bonza equiparation developments, this is a forensic look at how the legal system supports – or fails to support – those who don't enter the institution of...

The question of what can and cannot be said has dogged lawyers and lawmakers for centuries, but has found new life in recent months as Scotland grapples with this question. On this week's Law & Disorder, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer discuss the evolution of our laws around hate crimes, hate speech and what can be done to protect marginalised groups from further harassment. This podcast is generously sponsored by Tideway Wealth. Do send your own thoughts to us via...

The Human Rights Act has become something of a hot topic within the political establishment. Is it a symbol of European overreach into the British courts? Or is it an important part of how our legal system safeguards individual rights? That's the topic that Helena Kennedy, Charlie Falconer and Nicholas Mostyn tackle on this week's episode of Law and Disorder. Do send your own thoughts to us via [email protected]! Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast. Executive Producer and...

SLAPPs: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. These are the cases pursued, often by the super wealthy – from James Goldsmith and Robert Maxwell, to Mohamed Al-Fayed and Barbra Streisand – in order to suppress or intimidate those who act against their interests. In this episode of Law and Disorder, Nicholas, Helena and Charlie sit down and sort through the history of SLAPPs, name and shame the SLAPPERs-in-Chief, and ask whether there's anything that can be done about these abuses of...

How transparent should our judicial processes be? From televising court cases to debating anonymity in the family courts, this episode of Law and Disorder runs the gamut of issues surrounding "open justice". With Nick, Helena and Charlie on punchy form, expect sparks to fly over the history of our system's openness, all the way to Depp v Heard. Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast. Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton. Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron. Music by Richard Strauss, arranged...

On this week's episode of Law & Disorder, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer are gathering to discuss a crisis in the prisons system. With numbers of inmates pushing Britain's prisons to the absolute limit and conditions often failing to meet basic standards, do we need to rethink custodial sentencing? Or could the problem simply be solve by building more prisons? Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast. Executive Producer: Nick Hilton. Associate Producer: Ewan...

On today's episode of Law and Disorder, we're discussing juries. A new Channel 4 reality TV show has shone light on the fragility of verdicts that come through jury trials – but how illustrative was that entertainment experiment? And if juries really are in need of renovation, what alternatives can the courts offer? As ever, Helena Kennedy, Charlie Falconer and Nicholas Mostyn hammer out the issues, taking the legal history all the way back to 1660 to deliver their judgment. Law and Disorder...

The right to die is a question that has been puzzled over for decades, by legal minds, politicians, faith leaders and almost every other member of society. With assisted dying returning to the news this week, Law & Disorder takes a look at the legal and ethical implications of Britain's current laws, and asks whether there's a better way. With Charlie having introduced the 2014 Assisted Dying Bill to the House of Lords, he's an expert guide through this complex and emotive subject...

On today's episode of Law & Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Charlie Falconer and Helena Kennedy are back and this week they're discussing the thorny issue of libel. Are British courts too quick to allow expensive litigation that clogs up the courts, insufficiently redresses reputational damage or allows the wealthy to bully dissenters? We're exploring this through the prism of one of the most high-profile legal cases of recent years: Rebekah Vardy's libel case against Coleen Rooney, the...

Today, the Court of Appeal ruled that Shamima Begum – the young woman who, 9 years ago, left the UK to join the Islamic State – has lost her appeal against the government's decision to strip her of her British citizenship. Nicholas, Charlie and Helena gather for this emergency podcast to discuss the implications of this decision, how the courts deal with statelessness, and what options remain for a woman seemingly condemned to spend the rest of her life in refugee camps. Law and Disorder is a...

On this week's episode of Law and Disorder, we're looking at Prince Harry's legal action against the Mirror Group Newspapers. How have our perspectives on the right to privacy changed over the years? What are the landmark lawsuits that have shaped the relationship between the media and those under their spotlight? And, now that phone hacking is in the rearview mirror, how do we avoid future intrusions being made by the press? Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer are, as ever,...

On this week's episode of Law & Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer are discussing a topic that has been, unexpectedly, at the centre of British political debate over the past months: the scandalous treatment of the Post Office's sub-postmasters following faults with the Horizon computer system. After ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office brought the saga to a mainstream audience, it's time to ask important questions of a legal establishment that facilitated this...

On this week's Law & Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer are gathering to discuss the ongoing crisis in Gaza. What rules – and laws – govern conduct in war? Would a court deem Israel's response to the horrors of October 7th as proportional? And what precedent is there for holding leaders to account for the decision to employ force? Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast. Executive Producer: Nick Hilton. Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron. Music by Richard Strauss,...

The Rwanda Bill will return to Parliament in the coming days, the latest chapter in its controversial existence. On this week's Law and Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer look at the history of the bill and challenge its premise. Is Rwanda a safe country? And will Rishi Sunak's big bet on a hard immigration policy pay off? Or will the courts scupper his plans? Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast. Executive Producer: Nick Hilton. Associate Producer: Ewan...

Welcome to Law & Disorder, a new podcast that looks at what's happening in our world through the lens of the law. We are: Sir Nicholas Mostyn, recently retired High Court judge, Baroness Helena Kennedy, barrister and human rights campaigner, and Charlie Falconer, Labour peer and former Lord Chancellor. Together we will bring order, and a dollop of disorder, to proceedings. In this first episode, we'll be talking about the Rule of Law, the principle which underpins our democratic systems...

You're listening to Law and Disorder, a brand new weekly podcast looking at the biggest news stories of the day through the lens of the law. We are: Sir Nicholas Mostyn, recently retired High Court judge, Baroness Helena Kennedy, barrister and human rights campaigner, and Charlie Falconer, Labour peer and former Lord Chancellor. Together we will bring order, and a dollop of disorder, to proceedings. Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast. Executive Producer: Nick Hilton. Associate Producer: Ewan...