Law and Disorder

Media freedom around the world has never been more embattled. A rise in violence perpetrated against journalists and media proprietors has been accompanied by a significant surge in the use of 'lawfare', frivolous but destructive lawsuits designed to silence and intimidate. To discuss this crisis, the Law & Disorder team are joined by Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, a leading lawyer representing accused or imprisoned journalists or bereaved families, and Sebastien Lai, the son of Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong businessman and media entrepreneur who has been imprisoned by authorities. Caoifhionn and Sebastien discuss their own struggle to free Jimmy Lai from where he is being held in solitary confinement, a case which illuminates the current assault on the rights and safety of those who hold the powerful to account.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With climate change an ever increasing priority for people and governments around the globe, it is necessarily becoming a major part of our legal system. How do treaties like the Paris Agreement bind countries to climate goals? Can people – old and young – use the law to hold the state to account over climate action? And, in a world where climate change denial is increasingly mainstream from politicians, can the law offer a check to the spread of that rhetoric? To discuss all this, Nicholas, Helena and Charlie are joined by Lord Carnwath, to discuss everything from Donald Trump's denialism to Tony Blair's interventions.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tariffs: a word that has become, in the past few months, a political hot potato. With US President Donald Trump slapping major tariffs on countries all around the world, the Law & Disorder crew gather to consider these moves in their historical context and probe their legality. Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer are – regrettably – missing Helena this week, but we have two guests to compensate: Thomas Sebastian, barrister and expert in tariffs, and Edward Stourton, presenter of Radio 4's Sunday, who is currently writing a book about American political history.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Until recently, there was no real pressure on parties to mediate before an issue went to court. It has created an expensive, and often destructive, dynamic. But now, there is a concerted movement to introduce more "non-court" options, from mediation and arbitration to third party evaluation and collaborative law. To discuss this attempt to innovate in a calcified field, the Law & Disorder trio are joined by two revolutionaries in the area: Karen Barham, solicitor mediator at Moore Barlow, and Tom Carter, a barrister at 1 Hare Court.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this spring, Sir Nicholas headed off to Chamonix for a conference of family lawyers. There, he delivered a speech titled "The Law is Above You". But is it? In this episode, we'll play an extract from that speech and spark a conversation with Charlie and Helena about the Trump administration's myriad abuses of power, and whether the law can be play a role in preventing further injustices.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Law & Disorder we're considering one of the big societal issues of the 2020s: the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI). What challenges does it pose the law? And what possible advantages could be reaped? Will it be used to augment current practices? Or will it entirely refashion how the law works? To discuss this, our intrepid trio are joined by Richard Susskind, a leading lawyer and author of How to Think About AI, and Gregory Mostyn, co-founder of a legal tool, Wexler, and scion of a great legal dynasty.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the challenges of prosecuting fraud, in cases where the disclosure documents might make War and Peace look like a flimsy little pamphlet? That's the question being consider this week on Law & Disorder and to get to the heart of this, the gang – Nicholas Mostyn, Charlie Falconer and Helena Kennedy – are joined by James Hines KC, one of the country's most experienced lawyers specialising in fraud. From subjects like juries' comprehension of complex technical details to whether young lawyers aren't being financially incentivised to specialise in this area, this wide-ranging discussion asks important questions about whether we can do more to tackle white-collar crime. If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This April marks the 25th anniversary of a landmark case in which the British historian and Holocaust denier David Irving sued American Professor Deborah Libstadt, and her publisher Penguin Books, for defamation. What proceeded was a 9 week trial which established a definitive judgment on Irving's historiography – not to mention his anti-semitism. For this special episode of Law & Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Charlie Falconer and Helena Kennedy convene at the offices of Mishcon de Reya in front of a live audience from the firm. They are joined by three special guests: Anthony Julius, who served as Prof Lipstadt's lawyer, James Libson, Managing Partner at Mishcon who was a junior on the case, and Deborah Lipstadt herself.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the Supreme Court passed its judgment on the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers. The case challenged the assumed definitions of 'man' and 'woman' in the Equality Act 2010 and has provoked considerable commentary. The Supreme Court's verdict – delivered by Lord Hodge – appears to have vindicated the the campaigning of For Women Scotland, and other 'gender critical' organisations, beliefs about the primacy of biological sex. But could the verdict have unintended consequences? And where does this leave the beleaguered trans community? Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer discuss.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today, Barbara Mills KC, is the new Chair of the Bar Council, the first black woman to hold this post in the organisation's 131-year history. She is also one of the few family lawyers to assume this role, giving her a unique perspective of the challenges facing barristers in the present moment. She joins the Law & Disorder trio – Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer – for a conversation about the state of play in our legal system, and whether more can be done to ensure the best possible application of the law across the board.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our special guest on today's episode of Law & Disorder is Dr Charlotte Proudman, a family law barrister, campaigner, and author of a new book, He Said She Said: Truth, Trauma and the Struggle for Justice in Family Court. In this interview, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer explore Charlotte's history with the law, some of her most striking cases, and the key question of whether the bar is still a fundamentally misogynistic institution. If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Brian Leveson has been one of the most publicly prominent legal minds of the 21st century. From his early days prosecuting the likes of Ken Dodd and Rose West, Sir Brian became a household name when he chaired the Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press. In this wide-ranging interview, he talks to Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer about his career, whether we need a Leveson Part Two, and his new role looking into the ongoing crisis in Britain's courts system.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our courts are in crisis, with a sentencing backlog stretching to unthinkable lengths. To discuss this issue, the Law & Disorder trio are joined by Alex Chalk KC, who was Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice until the summer, and Lord Thomas, a former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. They are proposed a radical new programme for dealing with this backlog, involving slimming down the trial process for more minor offences. Could this clear the backlog? Or does it risk jeopardising our jury-based justice system? As ever, Helena Kennedy, Charlie Falconer and Nicholas Mostyn are on-hand to ask the questions.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for the Law and Disorder crew – Nicholas Mostyn, Charlie Falconer and Helena Kennedy – to plunge into the Mailbag once again and answer your correspondence. You've been appalled by Donald Trump's desecration of the rules-based order, delighted by Dan Neidle's forensic tax analysis, and otherwise moved to correspond on a wide range of issues. As ever, do keep the emails coming – we love to hear from you!If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With two upper chamber inhabitants amongst our hosting roster, it seems only right that the Law and Disorder crew discuss reform to the House of Lords. Lord Falconer, Baroness Kennedy and (meagre) Sir Nicholas are joined by Tom Strathclyde, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, to interrogate the purpose of our unelected chamber and whether, after a 27-year grace period, the last hereditary peers might, finally, be headed for the door. This is a rambunctious debate, conducted in good/high spirits and the editor has done his earnest best to eliminate as much cross-talk as possible!If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Hosted by: Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Associate Producer: Ewan Cameron.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been accused of serious crimes – including trafficking – in Romania, where they lived and have spent the past 2 years under a travel ban. Yet, this week the brothers flew to Florida after Romanian authorities returned their passports. Does this mean they will evade justice? How did the Romanian legal system allow this to happen? And what does this tell us about the further degradation of the rule of law in the United States under President Trump? Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy and Nicholas Mostyn convene (during their half-term break) to discuss this worrying story.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week has seen further desecrations of the established order, led by President Trump, whose remarks about Russia and Ukraine have sent shockwaves across Europe and the world. Is the rules-based order collapsing? And can the law stand strong in the face of raw power being exerted so recklessly? Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer convene to discuss an historic, and depressing, week.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Law & Disorder we welcome back Kenneth Roth, the distinguished former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch and author of the new book Righting Wrongs. Alongside Helena Kennedy, Charlie Falconer and Nicholas Mostyn, Professor Roth talks through the fraught legal situation surrounding the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and whether there's a resolution on the horizon.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Neidle – poacher turned gamekeeper (although not in his own estimation) – has gone from Head of Tax at Clifford Chance to the scourge of tax shy plutocrats. He joins this week's Law & Disorder to sit down with Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer and discuss his successes in revealing the dodgy dealings of a former-Chancellor of the Exchequer, as well as a certain Italian jockey. In the process, he has changed the standards of modern lawyering and become one of Britain's most effective campaigners.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the full, horrific details of the treatment of Sara Sharif, which culminated in her tragic death, came to light, an order was made to anonymised the family judges who had allowed her to return to her father's custody. The decision shocked the legal word and has been appealed by journalists and broadcasters, including Louse Tickle and Hannah Summers, who join Law & Disorder to discuss their case in the Court of Appeal, and whether judges should ever be granted anonymity as a protective measure.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is back in the White House after his historic re-election in November. At his inaugural speech this week, he laid out a manifesto for reinventing America, starting with some fundamental changes to the way that the law operates in the United States. What does he mean? Can he does this? And will the courts intervene? From denying asylum claims to changing America's established views on gender, President Trump is ploughing a controversial furrow. To discuss this, Nicholas Mostyn and Helena Kennedy are joined by David D. Cole, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hot off the presses, the Law Commission has produced a new report on the financial remedies available to divorcing couples. The Law & Disorder trio – Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer – are joined by Professor Nick Hopkins, the report's commissioner, and Holly Symonds, a barrister specialising in family law, to discuss how the law can evolve to help ensure more equitable separations. If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2023, a 10-year-old girl named Sara Sharif was murdered by her father and stepmother, the culmination of longstanding abuse she received. This week, verdicts were passed down in court, but, along with the findings, serious questions have been raised. Could the courts have done more to prevent Sara being left in such a transparently violent environment? What do we do when the apparent rights of the parents and children collide? And should the judge who placed Sara back with her father be named? Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer gather for this emergency episode of Law & Disorder.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Law & Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer are joined in the House of Lords by Martin Forde KC, a veteran barrister and former recorder, to discuss the role that race plays in the criminal justice system. Martin discusses his own experiences as a black British lawyer, and the crew piece through David Lammy's 2017 report into the disastrous outcomes for people of colour in our courts and beyond.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have a special episode recorded immediately after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants against both leaders of Hamas and, more strikingly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. To discuss this, we've dialled up Kenneth Roth, an expert in international law and former executive director of Human Rights Watch. Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer probe him on whether Israel can meaningfully be accused of genocide or other war crimes and human rights abuses, while Helena Kennedy recounts her experiences as part of the advisory panel that recommended bringing these warrants against Mr Netanyahu.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill – better know as the Assisted Dying Bill – will soon be debated in Parliament. It draws heavily from a previous bill proposed by Law & Disorder co-host Charlie Falconer, who, on this episode of the podcast, debates the ins and outs of Labour MP Kim Leadbeater's bill with his co-anchors, Nicholas Mostyn and Helena Kennedy. Nicholas thinks the bill doesn't go far enough; Helena is concerned about a slippery slope. Where do you stand on this fraught, important issue? Listen and let us know!If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time, once again, to crack open the mailbag and see what listeners have made of episodes over the past few months. In this mailbag edition, Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy and Nicholas Mostyn look back on episodes such as the chinwag with Lord Sumption on the ECHR, the questions raised by the prosecution of rioters in the summer, and the NDA agreements foisted upon the alleged victims of Mohamed Al-Fayed. We'll cover all that, and more, on this episode – and don't forget to send more questions, thoughts and criticisms for inclusion in future mailbag editions!If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we can't help but tackle the news story on everyone's lips: the re-election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. For an emergency episode, Nicholas Mostyn convenes with Charlie Falconer and Helena Kennedy to look at the implications for the rule of law and America's position as a beacon of the free world. If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The proceedings of the Court of Protection are not widely known or understood, but could, one day, prove of vital importance to you and your family. On this episode of Law and Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn introduces Charlie Falconer and Helena Kennedy to Vikram Sachdeva KC, a specialist in healthcare law with long experience of the Court of Protection, to discuss how the tricky issues of mental capacity, mental health and the intervention of the state can be handled.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a jury found Sergeant Martyn Blake, a Metropolitan police armed officer, not guilty of the murder of Chris Kaba. Kaba had been shot after police pulled over the car he was driving, which had been linked to a shooting incident. After the verdict, information has been released about Kaba's criminal record and suspected involvement in a gun crime in Hackney. The fallout has asked severe questions of our legal system. Do police officers require more legal protection to do their jobs properly? Are juries too quick to protect emergency services workers? Why was Kaba's criminal record not submitted as evidence? And are the tabloids over-reacting to this week's disclosures? Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer look the case over before Helena Kennedy joins to give the criminal lawyer's perspective. If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Sumption – one of Britain's foremost legal voices – joins Law & Disorder again, this time for a good ding dong. Should the UK withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (and its associated court)? Sumption goes head-to-head with a trio of critics – Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy, and Charlie Falconer – on this week's episode the gets to the heart of the balance between sovereignty and accountability, legislation versus the law, and what a 'human right' truly is.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past few weeks, new investigations have turned up a range of serious allegations against Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrods and Fulham FC. How does a man like Al-Fayed – about whom rumours were never far away – manage to go unchecked within his lifetime? What recompense can the law offer his victims? And is there more that the system can, and should, do in order to ensure perpetrators of abuse are brought to justice while they can still be held, personally, to account? Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer gather to discuss.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today – Jonathan Sumption – sat, until June of this year, as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. He left that role – "in high dudgeon" – as a critique of the creeping totalitarianism of pro-Beijing influences in the east Asian territory. In this wide-ranging discussion with Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer, Lord Sumption discusses how he came to that decision and looks at how the remaining British judges ought to handle their continued work in the region.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline Norton was a sensation of 19th century London. A writer and social reformer, she hit the headlines in 1836 when she accused her husband, George Norton, of coercive behaviour. What proceeded was a legal case that embroiled the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, and, in some ways, changed women's place in the law. But how much did Norton really achieve? And has the dust really settled on women's equality in marriage? For a special dive into the past, join Helena Kennedy, Nicholas Mostyn and Charlie Falconer in the time machine for a journey back to Victorian England.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, please do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Pratt and John Smith: the last two men to be executed in Britain for the crime of homosexuality. It is a story recounted by politician and historian Chris Bryant in his book James and John: A True Story of Prejudice and Murder. But how far has the law come since the 19th century? Was the image that Charles Dickens painted the truth? And how did feminist historian Naomi Wolf come to misunderstand the term "death recorded"? These, and many more, issues will be tackled in this episode of Law & Disorder, where Nicholas Mostyn, Charlie Falconer and Helena Kennedy look at Britain's dark, and homophobic, legal history.This episode was generously sponsored by Harbottle & Lewis.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, pelase do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain's prisons are in crisis. In the past week, we've seen the early release of some 1,500 prisoners in order to free up space in our nation's jails. But how did we get here? On this week's Law & Disorder, Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy and Nicholas Mostyn are joined by Ian Burnett, who served as Lord Chief Justice from 2017 to 2023. They have a candid and critical discussion about the state of our prisons, the nature of sentencing (and sentence inflation), and whether there are any remedies to hand.If you have questions, criticisms, praise or other feedback, pelase do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The streets of the UK have been gripped by disorder. Fuelled by racist rhetoric, rioters have taken to the streets from Southport to Bristol and the criminal justice system is now facing the huge task of processing these criminals and re-establishing order. Can quick sentencing decisions offer a deterrent to further unrest? How are prosecution decisions being made? And can anything be done about the large social media institutions that foment so much of this violence? Charlie Falconer leads Nicholas Mostyn and Helena Kennedy through the grim realities facing the UK, in this emergency episode of Law & Disorder.For inclusion in our next mailbag edition, do send your thoughts to us via lawanddisorderfeedback@gmail.com!Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.Executive Producer and Editor: Nick Hilton.Music by Richard Strauss, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.PR by Sally Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Extradition goes back a long way, in principle, but the modern application is complex. What are the grounds for refusing extradition? How has Brexit changed our relationship with European countries? And why is our relationship with America so asymmetrical? This week on Law & Disorder, Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer romp through the history extradition via three case studies. Firstly, the failed attempt to send Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to face trial in Spain. Then, the US attempt to extradite hacker Gary McKinnon to face espionage charges. And finally – and most topically – the long saga of Julian Assange.For inclusion in our next mailbag edition, do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 17th July, the new Labour government enjoyed their first King's Speech. In it, they put forward dozens of bills for consideration in this parliamentary session. But do those commitments get to grips with the necessary constitutional changes in our system? And do they address the years of decay and debasement of the Rule of Law, experienced under the previous governments? Charlie Falconer, Helena Kennedy and Nicholas Mostyn discuss.For inclusion in our next mailbag edition, do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Divorce is a complex business, especially when the participants are part of the mega-rich elites who spend millions quibbling over the balance and share of assets and proceedings. Our guide, this week, through the maze of monied marital misery is Tim Bishop KC, one of the UK's leading specialists in top-level financial cases on divorce. Alongside Nicholas Mostyn, Helena Kennedy and Charlie Falconer, he talks us through the evolution of British marriage law, what protections there are for spouses, and whether the legal quagmire of the wealthy has applications across the socio-economic spectrum.For inclusion in our next mailbag edition, do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for us to open up the mailbag and see what Law & Disorder listeners have made of the first six months of the show's existence. From the right to protest to the right to die, Liz Truss to Amber Heard, your questions run the gamut of the topics covered in the podcast. Should we televise courts? How badly did Charlie screw the pooch on his Lord Chancellor reforms? And are we all really just a bunch of whinging lefties? Listen to our mailbag and find out more!For inclusion in our next mailbag edition, do send your 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Libor: a little known, or understood, mechanism by which banks set an interest rate average. It became headline news when, in the crucible of the financial crisis, the practitioners were accused of rigging the rate to inflate public perceptions of their banks' health. But was all as it seemed? And were the traders – men like Tom Hayes and Carlo Palombo – who carried the can for Libor rigging, really just scapegoats? In this joint podcast with A Long Time in Finance, Nicholas Mostyn and Helena Kennedy ask whether a miscarriage of justice was administered in the pursuit of retribution on a broken financial system.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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the UK heading to the polls next week, the Law & Disorder trio – Helena Kennedy, Charlie Falconer and Nicholas Mostyn – gather to discuss the long and difficult history of the franchise. From votes for renters to the struggles of minorities to gain recognition in the UK and abroad, the journey to our current electorate was a long and winding one. Do you know your rotten boroughs from your potwallopers? Tune in to this instalment of Law & Disorder to find out!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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.