Wrongful convictions in the Post Office scandal and for train fare evasion have been described by the Government as ‘catastrophic failures’, and it's held a consultation in England and Wales to reform private prosecutions.

It covers private prosecutions brought by organisations, and also, the SJP - the single justice procedure - where a minor criminal offence is decided by a magistrate behind closed doors. Tens of thousands of rail fines have been quashed, after train companies were found to have misused the SJP system.

So how should private prosecutions be reformed?

Also on the programme:

(Note that in Scotland, the nearest equivalent to a police caution is a Procurator Fiscal warning which is usually issued for low level offences such as street drinking or breach of the peace).

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors:

What legal responsibilities does a company have to keep your data secure?

M&S, and the Co-op are picking up the pieces after their systems were hacked.

The cyber criminals claim to have the private information of 20 million people who signed up to Co-op's membership scheme, but the firm have not confirmed that number. The Co-op says the breach did not include members’ passwords, bank or credit card details. However, experts say seemingly innocent information can be used to commit fraud or identity theft.

Companies aren’t the only target; on Monday this week, the Ministry of Justice revealed that the Legal Aid Agency was also hacked in April.

So can you sue if your private data is stolen in this way? And if you're the employee who clicked on a hacker's dodgy link in an email, how liable are you for any losses that occur?

Also on the programme:

Presenter: Joelle Grogan

Contributors

When someone passes away - legally, what do you have to do?

In this episode, Dr Joelle Grogan and guests look at the host of legal obligations that have to be considered in England and Wales from declaring a death, to the circumstances in which a coroner becomes involved, dealing with a dead person’s estate and the grant of probate.

Note that in Scotland, different laws and rules apply. The Procurator Fiscal investigates all sudden, suspicious, accidental, unexpected and unexplained deaths and any death occurring in circumstances that give rise to serious public concern. Also in Scotland, "Confirmation of Executors" - also known as Confirmation - gives someone the legal authority to manage and distribute a deceased person's estate. It is similar to probate, but some procedures and terms used in the process differ.

Also on the programme:

A teenage boy recently lost a High Court case against his parents. He was unhappy that they had placed him in a Ghanaian boarding school because they feared that he was becoming involved in criminal activity in London.

The case rested on parental responsibility, and the judge ruled that their actions were within the scope of decisions that parents can make - and that the state shouldn't intervene.

But what is "parental responsibility" and is there a situation where a child can divorce their parents?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors:

Justice delayed is justice denied - the court backlog in England and Wales has reached a record high and suspects being charged with new offences are regularly told they may not get a trial until 2027. Some courts are already booking court dates for 2028. The government has commissioned an independent review of criminal courts to work out how to cut waiting times. A victim of crime and a criminal defence solicitor tell Dr Joelle Grogan about the human cost of court delays.

Also on the programme, the MP introducing a law to end the abuse of Lasting Powers of Attorney and what can someone do when their ex refuses to pay child maintenance?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors:

Since the October 7th attacks by Hamas on Israel, and the IDF military invasion of the Gaza strip, terms like 'war crimes', 'crimes against humanity' and 'genocide' have been used when discussing the conflict.

Warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court in the Hague for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas commander Mohammed Deif - who has since died in an air strike - citing allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In this special episode of the Law Show, we'll ask what are the legal definitions of these terms, how victims in a conflict situation can seek justice, and we'll explain the difficulties of gathering evidence in war and proving claims in an international court.

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Lucy Letby is serving 15 whole-life sentences after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester hospital - with two attempts on one of her victims - between June 2015 and June 2016.

But a campaign to clear her is being led by 14 medical experts who say there is no medical evidence for murders or attacks on those babies in her ward at the hospital.

The expert witness at her trial, Dr Dewi Evans, has consistently defended the evidence he provided to the court.

So what is an expert witness? When is their evidence required in court, what do they do, and who pays their fees?

Also on this week's programme:

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors:

A parliamentary inquiry has just started work into the law around Joint enterprise.

Joint enterprise is contentious because if a person is seen to be involved in a crime, from knowing about it, to egging someone on, being present, or even being able to predict that someone is likely to use a weapon like a gun - then they could be considered as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger.

It has a long history, but in recent times, it has been used as a way of prosecuting murder, especially in cases involving groups of people, when it's not known who carried out a killing.

But is it being applied fairly?

The CPS says “We choose the right charges for the right people based on the evidence in front of us. We look objectively at the evidence before making our own decisions.

and they add that “The CPS carefully monitors joint enterprise prosecutions, with senior legal oversight over every case to ensure that our approach is fair and proportionate.”

But campaigners say joint enterprise disproportionately results in working-class and black youths being prosecuted and convicted.

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors:

The job of the Criminal Cases Review Commission - or CCRC - is to investigate cases where people may have been wrongfully convicted of a crime in the criminal courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The CCRC has faced criticism over it's actions - or lack of action - in a high-profile miscarriage of justice.

In April this year, the CCRC offered an unreserved apology to Andrew Malkinson. He spent 17 years in prison following conviction for a rape in Salford that he didn’t commit. DNA testing which led to his conviction being quashed was not commissioned by the CCRC, and in July, an independent review found that he could have been freed five years after receiving a life sentence in 2003.

After the report was published, the Justice Secretary called for the resignation of the chair of the CCRC, Helen Pitcher. However, she said she was still the “best person” for the job and that she had no intention of standing down.

So how does the Criminal Cases Review Commission work? How does it make decisions about which cases should go back to the Court of Appeal, and which should be rejected?

Also this week:

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors

Last year, more than a quarter of a million cases started in Family Court in England and Wales.

Yet, to most people, the way they work is a mystery.

Traditionally, they were always held in private, because they discuss sensitive information about peoples' personal lives, and to protect children from harm.

Since 2009 reporters have been allowed to attend hearings. But they weren't allowed to tell anyone what was said without the permission of the court, and judges could exclude them.

Now, a pilot has been operating in 19 areas across England and Wales to allow journalists and legal bloggers to report Family Court cases, subject to strict rules of anonymity. Last week, it was extended to cover both private and public family cases at magistrates courts in the pilot areas.

But will it improve confidence and help people understand how the family courts work?

This week, Dr Joelle Grogan is joined by BBC correspondent Sanchia Berg and Lucy Reed KC, chair of the charity, the Transparency Project, to explain how the family courts work, what people attending them can expect, and why the reporting pilot is vital.

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors:

In this new series of the Law Show, Dr Joelle Grogan and guests look at the legislation that affects your life.

One of the flagship pieces of legislation for the Labour Government is the Renters' Rights Bill - scrapping no-fault evictions, and imposing new obligations and penalties on rogue landlords. How will it benefit tenants and affect landlords?

Also on the programme: a raft of new laws are coming into effect this autumn, but who decides when a law becomes active or is enforceable?

And family law solicitor Tracey Moloney joins us to look at an aspect of divorce that fills many people with dread: the division of assets. Can your ex claim against property you brought into the marriage? Can they claim your pension? And how can the answers to those questions differ, dependent upon where you live in the UK?

Presenter: Dr Joelle Grogan

Contributors