Content Warning: This episode mentions domestic and sexual abuse, possession of weapons, and mental health difficulties in relation to behaviour that may lead to school exclusion.

Children as young as 10 can be held responsible for crimes – but they also have special rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda talk to Florence Cole, an education solicitor at Harrow Law Centre, about the laws around children’s education, why exclusions happen, and what can be done to protect young people.

Florence has many years' experience supporting children and families through exclusions, appeals, discrimination cases, and special educational needs issues. She explains:

·       When parents can legally challenge a school or local authority decision

·       Why exclusions can have devastating long-term effects

·       How children’s backgrounds, trauma and unmet special needs can influence behaviour

·       The “school-to-prison pipeline” and pupil referral units

·       Practical tips for parents and carers facing exclusion hearings

·       How the law (Equality Act 2010, Children & Families Act 2014, SEND Regulations) protects children with special educational needs

When Florence was 10, she loved spending time in nature and had an imaginary friend called Frieda. 

References and Resources 

• Harrow Law Centre
• Behaviour in schools: sanctions and exclusions
• Discriminatory exclusions
• School exclusion: a review on disproportionate exclusion of certain children
• School suspensions and permanent exclusions

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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We hear in the news about people fleeing their homes to become asylum seekers or refugees, why is this?  Alma and Lucinda talk to Lance Bartholomeusz from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to find out:

·       The difference between refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants

·       Why so many people around the world are forced to leave their homes

·       What protections and rights refugees have under international law

·       The role of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) around the world

·       How refugee children are supported to go to school, stay safe, and build new lives

·       The challenges people face when starting a new life in a different country

You’ll also hear real examples of the UNHCR’s work, from helping Palestinian families in neighbouring countries, to supporting Rohingya communities in Bangladesh, to protecting displaced people in Ukraine, and how Uganda supports Sudanese refugees in Africa. 

When Lance was 10 he wanted to be a snake handler!

 References and Resources

 United Nations Refugee Agency

 United Kingdom for UNHCR

 Kate Blanchett on Statelessness

 Patrick Eba UNHCR’s policy and legal expert ‘Why do refugees need protection?’

There are more stories at www.unhcr.org under news and stories. Here are the latest stories relating to children: News and stories | UNHCR

There were 8.4 million asylum-seekers awaiting decisions on their individual applications at the end of 2024, the highest number ever recorded, marking a 22 per cent increase from 6.9 million the previous year. See Global Trends | UNHCR

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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Did you know you could train as a solicitor straight from school?

There are two different routes to becoming a solicitor –as a graduate and as an apprentice.

In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Annabel Twose, a second-year trainee, and Matt Dady, a first-year solicitor apprentice at Fieldfisher's London office, a European law firm with 25 offices in 13 countries.

Together they explore:

·      Why they wanted to train as a solicitor

·      The difference between training as a solicitor apprentice or as a graduate and why chose their route

·      challenges encountered in their training 

·      A typical day and available support 

·      The area of law they want to practice once qualified 

·      Their top tips for working in a law firm 

When she was 10 years old, Annabel was an avid reader and inspired by Alex Rider books wanted to be a spy. Matt wanted to work in the travel industry, as a captain of a cruise ship. 

 

References and Resources 

Fieldfisher London

CILEX episode

Legal Cheek

Corporate Law Academy

 Grow Mentoring 

The Bright Network.

Law Society and becoming a solicitor

Law Careers – a guide to apprenticeships  

 ➡️ Call 999 in an emergency
➡️ Speak to an adult you trust
➡️ Or contact a confidential service like Childline: 0800 1111
➡️ If you're under 18 and want free, confidential advice, you can also call the NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected]

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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Research shows that smacking a child can be physically and emotionally damaging and it’s not an effective way to discipline them. In some parts of the UK, such as Scotland and Wales, smacking a child is against the law, even if you’re just visiting. But in England and Northern Ireland, the law is different - parents can still claim a defence of ‘reasonable punishment’.

In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Amy Packham, a criminal barrister, Deputy Head of Lamb Building chambers, and a part-time Crown Court judge.

Together, they explore:

·       Why the law around smacking children is different in different parts of the UK

·       Whether teachers or other adults are ever allowed to smack a child

·       What the law means by ‘reasonable punishment’

·       What happens if someone reports a parent for smacking their child

·       How the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child fits into all of this

If a child tells you they are being hit or they don’t feel safe, it’s important to act:
➡️ Call 999 in an emergency
➡️ Speak to an adult you trust
➡️ Or contact a confidential service like Childline: 0800 1111
➡️ If you're under 18 and want free, confidential advice, you can also call the NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected]

 

References and Resources

Find your local social care team through your local council.

NSPCC helpline (via phone, email or online form)

Kids Law Interview Why are Children’s Rights in Scotland the Strongest in the UK?

S.58 The Children Act 2004

NSPCC Survey 2024

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) Report 2024

Children’s Commissioner for England

Article 19 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

Please subscribe, rate, and share the podcast with your friends.
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WARNING: Adults might want to listen to this episode before listening with young children, as we mention the words self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders in the context of examples of harmful online content.

What are the legal implications for young people becoming influencers online? What happens if brands offer them sponsorship deals? These activities raise commercial, consent and ownership legal issues.

Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Steve Kuncewicz, Partner at Glaisyers Solicitors. Steve is an expert in the law that affects the creative, digital and marketing world and he joined the our hosts to talk about the main legal issues affecting children creators of online content in the UK including:

·      General legal issues affecting online content creators

·      Young people and contracts and sponsorship deals

·      Social media platforms responsibilities and the Online Safety Act 

·      Challenges when parents involve their children in content creation

·      Cases and laws in USA lto protect young online content creators

 When Steve was 10  years old, he said he was geeky and still is! He wanted to be a writer and imagined he would be Batman!

References and Resources

Steve Kuncewicz 

Child Content Creators: What Is Protecting Minors from Exploitation?

Teen Vogue article 2023: Influencer Parents and The Kids Who Had Their Childhood Made Into Content

UCLA Law Review

Child Influencers and Commercial Challenges

Kids Law podcasts on other related topics:

How can laws protect creative works?

How the ICO works to protect children online                           

How young people can be protected online NSPCC perspective

Does the law control when a child can work and get paid for it?

Online Safety Act - what is being done to keep children safe online

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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There are laws which are supposed to protect our environment, but they haven’t stopped pollution and the destruction of the natural world. So, some rivers and forests gave been granted enforceable legal rights to stop this habitat destruction. Alma-Constance and Lucinda discussed this with one of the co-founders of the Lawyers for Nature organisation: Paul Powlesland a barrister at Garden Court Chambers; and he told us:

·      Why Lawyers for Nature was founded

·      How having legal rights gives nature a voice in the legal system

·      About the cases he has been involved with to help local communities protect   their trees

·      The examples from other countries where rivers and nature have been given legal rights 

·      About being the self – appointed guardian of the river Roding in East London

·      Several ways that we can become involved in protecting nature in our communities.

References and Resources

https://www.lawyersfornature.com/about/

Brontie Ansell

David Hunter

Paul Powlesland

Nature in Court – as Jury Oath

Faith In Nature  

Universal Declaration of River Rights

EcoJurisprudence World wide examples

Webinar Strategic litigation: how charities can use the law as a force for good Client Earth

River Roding Trust

 

 

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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That's right... the age of criminal responsibility for children in England & Wales is only 10 years old! This is the lowest age in Europe and one of the lowest worldwide. Alma- Constance and Lucinda talk to Kirsty Brimelow KC, an expert in international human rights, public and criminal law and recently elected Vice Chair of the Bar Council for 2025. She explained:

• How the law of criminal responsibility has come about
• The sorts of crimes that children are charged with
• The impact on the lives of children who are put into the criminal justice system
• The attempts to raise the age of criminal responsibility
• About the countries which are seen as effective examples in how they approach juvenile justice 
• The role international organisations play in seeking to raise the age 

When Kirsty was eight she was inspired to think about the importance of fairness and justice in everyday life.

References and Resources

Kirsty Brimelow KC

Kids Law Episode Sir Max Hill KC, 'Can you really become a criminal at 10?'when he was the Director of Public Prosecutions. 

Kids Law episode Why are Children’s Rights in Scotland the Strongest in the UK? With Bruce Adamson,when he was the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland.

Kirsty Brimelow KC Kids Law episode 'Do witches really exist and how do lawyers get involved?'

Age of criminal responsibility

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8565619.stm?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://archive.crin.org/en/home/ages.html https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/systematic-responses-children-under-minimum-age-criminal-responsibility

https://www.unicef.org/lac/media/2771/file/PDF%20Minimum%20age%20for%20criminal%20responsibility.pdf

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda look back at Series 4 where they've been talking to people working in the legal system who explain how laws affect us in everyday life, particularly for children and young people. The 12 episodes cover:

• the new Online Safety Act,
• alternative ways to resolve disputes, and why the Old Bailey is so famous, 
• how the law affects children when someone dies and if the king has to obey the law,
• the role of ethics in law, how human rights can be used to protect children and the difference between human rights and civil liberties,
• why law centres were set up and how they support people in the community,
• how to practice law without going to university; and 
• the most important IP right that affects young people. 

Written, edited and produced by Lucinda Acland

We would like to say a big thank you to all our Series 4 speakers for supporting our project, and especially you, our listeners. 

 

 

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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After a major tragedy, public inquiries look at what happened, why it happened, and who is to blame, and what could be done to prevent this happening again.   One of the most notorious is the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, where many innocent people were falsely accused of crimes. 
Alma and Lucinda spoke to Flora Page, a barrister at 23 Essex Street Chambers,  she recently represented the sub postmasters in the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.  She told us: 

·      Why inquiries are so important when there has been a major tragedy 

·      How they ensure organisations are held accountable for their actions

·      Her role in the post office horizon IT Inquiry and why lawyers are involved?  

·      How the voices of children and young people can be heard in an Inquiry

When Flora was 10 she liked sailing and acting and thought she wanted to be a geologist!

Written, edited and produced by Lucinda Acland.

References and Resources
What is the Role of Ethics in Law (Richard Moorhead Series 4 Episode 8)

Watch Flora Page interview witnesses  with commentary

Post Office Horizon IT inquiry Livestream videos

https://www.23es.com/barrister/flora-page/

UK Covid-19 inquiry  Post Office Horizon IT inquiry.

Inquiries Act 2005. 

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/public-inquiries

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06410/

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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The Old Bailey is the nickname  for the court that hears the most serious criminal cases in England and Wales.
Alma and Lucinda spoke to Her Honour, Judge Anuja Dhir KC, the first non-white judge to be appointed. She tells us:

• about her role as a judge and what it's like to work in such a historic court 
• how  children and young people are involved in the criminal justice system
• the special procedures that are used to take their evidence and support them
• what it was like changing from being a barrister to a judge
• her experience of diversity in the legal profession

When Anuja was 10 she wanted to be a manager in a shoe shop!

Written, edited and produced by Lucinda Acland.

References and Resources

HH Anuja Dhir KC
Judicial Appointment
The Old Bailey. - The public galleries are open Monday - Friday 09:55 to 12:40 and 13:55 - 15:40. Visitors must be over 14. Proof of age may be requested by security.

If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at [email protected], contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo

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See you soon in the next episode!