Law and Disorder

Britain has a long and complex history with slavery. From medieval villeinage through to the African slaves brought to the colonies, has the country truly reckoned with its role in perpetrating one of the great evils in humanity's history? In this episode of Law & Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer run through our fraught history with the slave trade, and ask whether the abolition movement was quite as pure as the history books say. Then they tackle the thorny questions of reparations and affirmative action, as the implications of slavery move into their modern context.This podcast is generously sponsored by Tideway Wealth.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

A landmark ruling in the European Court of Human Rights has allowed a claim from a Swiss activist group who asserted that their country's government had been inadequate in its attempt to reduce carbon emissions. They told the court that their age and gender (they are a group of older women) made them more susceptible to the impacts of climate-induced heatwaves, and the ECHR agreed. Does this open a big can of worms? Or are we witnessing a flexible interpretation of the law that could help the cause of climate justice? With Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy and Nicholas Mostyn gathered to discuss, expect fireworks!This podcast is generously sponsored by Tideway Wealth.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

The right to protest is fundamental to any democracy, and yet, in recent years, it feels as though the Conservative government is strangling that ability. For this episode of Law & Disorder, the gang – Helena Kennedy, Charlie Falconer and Nicholas Mostyn – are joined by a very special guest, Raj Chada, in order to look at the evolving picture of protest in our courts. From the Colston Four to Trudi Warner, some of the biggest cases of recent years are scrutinised by the team.This podcast was generously sponsored by Hodge Jones and Allen.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

In an historic decision, a court in New York has convicted former President (and current Presidential candidate) Donald Trump on 34 counts in a so-called "hush money" case. What exactly was the court's decision? Does it hold up, to the legal eye, and will it survive appeal? And what does it mean for the course of the Rule of Law? As ever, Charlie Falconer, Nicholas Mostyn and Helena Kennedy gather round their computers to give the legal breakdown on this landmark ruling.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

This week, we're convening an emergency pod to look at the publication of Sir Brian Langstaff's report into the infected blood scandal, in which thousands of Brits were given contaminated blood containing the HIV or Hepatitis C viruses. How was this allowed to happen? Does the report come close to capturing the scale of the problem? And is there a course for reparations, or criminal penalties, or has the ship sailed on this? As ever, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer gather to discuss.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

On this week's Law and Disorder, Helena, Nicholas and Charlie gather to discuss the recent decision of a New York court to overturn the conviction of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. How did this decision – which has shaken faith in the legal system's ability to handle the gravity of the MeToo movement's concerns – come about? And could the same thing happen in UK courts? As ever, the conversation slaloms through the history of courts dealing with sexual assault and rape allegations, and considers the balance of prejudicial and probative information.This podcast is generously sponsored by Tideway Wealth.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

This week, Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer set the sights on the UK's legal migration rules. Are we making it too hard for low-wage (or low-skilled) workers to move to the UK with their families? And how does this fit in with the complex political puzzle that is the 'stop the boats' campaign? Is this truly a question for the law, or really one of policy? Join us, listen along, and decide!This podcast is generously sponsored by Tideway Wealth.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

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 podcast is generously sponsored by Tideway Wealth.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.

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 justice.This podcast is generously sponsored by Tideway Wealth.Do send your own thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones.