Reporting the law
Something a bit different this morning: a full-length podcast in which I am interviewed at Matrix Chambers in London by two of its leading members: Tim Owen KC and Ken Macdonald KC (Lord Macdonald of River Glaven). It’s episode 25 in their series Double Jeopardy and you can listen to it or download it without charge. The links above the graphic in this tweet will also take you to it:
The two barristers ask begin by asking me how I got into the law and whether I regret not trying for the bar. We chat about the decline in legal journalism since the days when Macdonald was director of public prosecutions.
Because we recorded the podcast last Wednesday morning, we discussed my analysis, which had just been published, of the Illegal Migrants Bill. As expected, the bill was given a second reading by MPs yesterday.
We also discuss the issues raised by my book Privacy and the Press, first published by OUP in 2004 — in particular the populist approach to slapping down SLAPPs. And we finish with the views I express on judicial activism in my most recent book, Enemies of the People?
Their cross-examination was rather gentler than I might have expected from either of them in court but it was an exhilarating experience, not least because the podcast format allowed both of them to express their own views.
And, of course, I expressed mine — though I hope not in a way that will land me in the trouble that Gary Lineker faced over the weekend. The latest edition of Law in Action, which I present for BBC Radio 4, will be broadcast at 4pm today and then available as a download. In it, we discuss what can the law do to keep the health service going. Also, we’ll hear how legal advisers can be good for your health.