Double Jeopardy - UK Law and Politics

The UK criminal justice system is facing an existential threat with court backlogs surging, trial complexity increasing, and decades of chronic underfunding pushing the system to the edge of collapse. Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC are joined by Sir Brian Leveson to discuss the findings of his landmark independent review of the criminal courts.    The discussion explores proposals to overhaul the structure of criminal trials, reduce pressure on the courts, and restore public trust touching on key issues such as: * Removing the right to elect trial by jury in certain cases * Expanding out-of-court resolutions * Creating a new Crown Court bench division * Modernising and diversifying the magistracy * Introducing judge-only trials in complex or lengthy cases These recommendations sit at the heart of a wider debate about the future of UK law, political issues in Britain, and the balance between justice, efficiency, and liberty. The episode interrogates what’s at stake for the rule of law, judicial independence, and the public’s faith in a fair, functioning system. --- Covering the critical intersections of law and politics in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy. With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain’s legal and political future.   What happens when law and politics collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain’s legal and political system?   Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays.   Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.   Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law.   Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades.    Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape.   If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today in Focus, you’ll love Double Jeopardy.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is reviewing new allegations against Letby herself, alongside claims of corporate failings that could amount to corporate manslaughter. As police investigate, questions are mounting about accountability at the highest levels of the health system and beyond. As police escalate their investigation into the National Health Service (NHS) leadership, three former senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.    Focusing on one of the most high-profile legal cases in recent memory to broader political issues in Britain from the legality of Israel and US military action under international law, to the complexities of legal privilege in criminal appeals, this conversation also marks the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, examining how crises reshape laws on prisons and sentencing, freedom of expression, and crime and punishment.   Double Jeopardy returns with Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC to unpack the deeper legal and political implications behind the headlines offering expert legal commentary that connects current events with long-term challenges in UK politics, UK law, and the ongoing criminal justice crisis.   You can find the blog post from The Jolly Contrarian titled Lucy Letby: waiver of privilege?  Here. [https://share.google/lNRR50zLbkeQOxHuX]   If you'd like to listen through all our episodes about Lucy Letby, you can find them here:   Lucy Letby’s Victims Strike Back: Identification Evidence, Miscarriages of Justice and Legal System Insights into How UK Juries Reach their Verdicts  [https://link.podtrac.com/ie8t4s0n] Release Date: March, 26, 2025 Lucy Letby: The Experts Break Cover [https://link.podtrac.com/7m488eqf] Release Date: February, 12, 2025 Lucy Letby, Fair Trials, and a Conservative Path to Justice  [https://link.podtrac.com/cqesrpfk] Release Date: November, 13, 2024 ⁠Lucy Letby Part 2: The Response  [https://link.podtrac.com/7fl79d29] Release Date: August, 27, 2024 Lucy Letby The Shadow of a Doubt? [https://link.podtrac.com/zr1vp20a] Release Date: August, 16, 2024 --- Covering the critical intersections of law and politics in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy. With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain’s legal and political future.   What happens when law and politics collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain’s legal and political system?   Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays.   Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.   Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law.   Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades.    Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape.   If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today in Focus, you’ll love Double Jeopardy.

Has the United States & Israel broken international law by bombing Iran? Or was it an act of Self-Defence?   Professor Marko Milanovic, a leading expert in international law joins Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC to assess the legality of the recent Israeli and US military actions against Iranian nuclear facilities.    From Article 51 of the UN Charter to the legacy of the Caroline Doctrine, the discussion dives deep into the legal justifications for self-defence, the meaning of "imminent threat," and whether international law permits pre-emptive force in the face of existential danger.   Professor Milanovic challenges political and legal narratives from NATO, UK politicians, and beyond—exploring whether Israel and the U.S. were acting within the bounds of law, or eroding the very norms that exist to prevent war.   You can read Professor Milanovic’s recent blog post here [https://www.ejiltalk.org/the-illegal-israeli-american-use-of-force-against-iran-a-follow-up/].   — Covering the critical intersections of law and politics in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy.    With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain’s legal and political future.   What happens when law and politics collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain’s legal and political system?   Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays.   Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.   Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law.   Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades.    Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape.   If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today in Focus, you’ll love Double Jeopardy.

How should members of Parliament decide matters of life and death? In the midst of passionate public debate, Parliament has begun to rewrite the legal boundaries around abortion and assisted dying, but what does that mean for the future of UK law? And has the United States broken international law by bombing Iran?   Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC explore the shifting lines of morality, medicine, legality and war in some of Britain’s most divisive debates. They examine the legal, ethical, and political fallout of recent reforms, including the decriminalisation of abortion and the proposed assisted dying bill, raising urgent questions about how laws evolve to reflect modern values.   They’re joined by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, who sponsored the abortion amendment. She offers powerful insight into the parliamentary process, the resistance reformers face, and what it means to legislate on issues where conscience, religion, and human rights collide.   From politics and law to freedom of expression, from crime and punishment to the morality of modern warfare, this episode offers rigorous expert legal commentary on today’s most sensitive current political events. With a focus on how British politics navigates questions of life, death, and dignity - and what that reveals about the state of our legal system.

What happens when a justice system is asked to do more with less and at what cost to fairness, freedom, and the rule of law?   Crime and justice commentator Danny Shaw appears on the show to examine the political and legal fallout from the UK government’s spending review. With stretched police forces, an underfunded probation service, and mounting pressure on the courts and the prisons, how can Labour’s Manifesto commitment to “Take Back Our Streets” be fulfilled ?   Ken and Tim then turn to the bulging Double Jeopardy postbag and tackle listeners’ questions and comments on the proposed reforms anticipated in the Leveson Review such as judge-only trials, as well as the implications of potential changes to abortion law in England Wales. What do these shifts mean for prosecutors, defendants, and the future of jury trials in Britain? And when are jurors entitled to follow their consciences rather than the evidence?    From prisons and sentencing to digital forensics and judicial independence, this episode offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing political issues in Britain today set against the broader backdrop of UK politics. Expect sharp, accessible legal system insights for anyone trying to make sense of current events and current political events. You can find the link to the Judgment in the Trudy Warner case here [%C2%A0%E2%81%A0https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/HM-Solicitor-General-v-Warner-Judgment-22.4.24-KB.pdf] and the Report of the Westminster Commission on Miscarriages of Justice on Forensic Science here. [https://futurejustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FS_Digital.pdf] --- Covering the critical intersections of law and politics in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy. With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain’s legal and political future.   What happens when law and politics collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain’s legal and political system?   Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays.   Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.   Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law.   Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades.    Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape.   If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today in Focus, you’ll love Double Jeopardy.