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 our legal system.

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.

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 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, 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 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 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 is a Podot podcast.

Executive Producer: 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 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 matter.

Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.

Executive Producer: 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 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 so-called 'Wagatha Christie' trial.

Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.

Executive Producer: 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.

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 Podot podcast.

Executive Producer: 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 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, your guides through these issues.

Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.

Executive Producer: 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 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 miscarriage of justice. How was it allowed to happen? Who was responsible? And will anyone – from the Post Office to Fujitsu to government – be held accountable?

Law and Disorder is a Podot podcast.

Executive Producer: 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 & 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, arranged and performed by Anthony Willis & Brett Bailey.

PR by Sally Jones.

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