Law in Action

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The Law Show

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Factual: Crime & Justice

Factual: Politics

Conversation about the laws making headlines, and the laws that shape everyday life.

The Law Show is your guide to the law and the legal decisions that have a bearing on everyone in the UK.

Weekly conversation that will give you an in-depth understanding of the law stories making news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it's unpicking a landmark legal ruling, explaining how laws are made or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.

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The Law Show: Scrapping European law

Scrapping European law

BBC Radio 4 - The Law Show, Scrapping European law

Which EU-retained laws to keep; young people and the criminal law; crime-solving podcasts.

How is the government going to drop or replace 2400 EU laws by the end of 2023? Raising the age of criminal responsibility in Northern Ireland; and   crime-solving podcasts

The government is currently committed to a bonfire of laws which were inherited from the EU after Brexit - including things like the right to four weeks' paid annual leave. The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill 2022 requires government departments to check over 2400 laws; then decide which ones to keep, which ones to amend, and which ones to let disappear from the statute books. Those chosen to be kept or amended will have to get through parliament by the end of next year, if they are to remain in force. A useful cleansing of the statute books, or a loss of consumer, worker and environmental rights? 

Why does Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister want to raise the age of criminal responsibility? It's currently set at the age of ten, the same as that of England and Wales, although not Scotland. This is very low by international standards. 

Are young adult defendants being unfairly pressurised into pleading guilty? The campaigning organisation Fair Trials says that 18-24-year olds sometimes get as little as 30 minutes to make a potentially life-changing decision. There is an incentive of getting a third off a prison sentence for pleading guilty at the first opportunity - Fair Trails say young defendants can fail to realise the long-term consequences of making such a plea.

Can podcasts help bring about justice or do they run the risk of prejudicing trials? We hear about the Australian true crime podcast ‘The Teacher’s Pet’, which has now helped solve a murder from 1982. The victim’s husband was convicted and is about to be sentenced. 

Presenter: Joshua Rozenberg 
Producer: Arlene Gregorius 
Researcher: Diane Richardson 
Sound engineer: Graham Puddifoot 
Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Helena Warwick-Cross
Editor: Simon Watts

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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