The Law Show BBC Radio 4

Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan about the law stories making the news and the legal decisions that could have a bearing on everyone in the UK. Whether it’s explaining a new law or seeking clarity for you on a legal issue, The Law Show will be your guide.
This week:
Water: from the cryptosporidium outbreak in tap water in Devon, to E. coli bacteria in the Thames, and sewage in rivers, lakes and seas across the country - what does the law say about clean water? What obligations do water companies have, who enforces this, and who keeps an eye on the enforcers? Do we have a right to clean water to drink or swim in? Joelle explores all this and more with Angus Evers, Partner and Head of Environment Law at Shoosmiths, and with Dr Charlotte Proudman, a barrister and academic.
Divorce: in England and Wales, the only divorce available now is no-fault divorce, as a result of a law change that came into force last year. As family law solicitor Tracey Moloney points out though, you also need to get a financial order. If not, your ties haven't been fully severed, and your ex-spouse could make a financial claim in future. In Scotland, you need to prove irretrievable breakdown of the marriage to get a divorce, or that one of you is applying for a gender recognition certificate. In Northern Ireland, you need to cite reasons like adultery, unreasonable behaviour or desertion.
And: the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 was the last bill that became law just before parliament was dissolved for the general election. Under the Act, which covers England and Wales, leaseholders will gain more rights. For example, it will become easier and cheaper for them to buy their freehold, or extend leases to 990 years. There is also a ban on the sale of all new leasehold houses. But, the Act didn't cap, let alone abolish, ground rent, and hasn't come into force yet...
Producers: Ravi Naik and Arlene Gregorius
Editor: Tara McDermott
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele

Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan about the law stories making the 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.
This week:
Assisted dying. Jersey, the Isle of Man, and Scotland are all taking steps towards making it legal to help someone die, in very specific and limited circumstances. It's currently a crime punishable by 14 years' imprisonment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Dr Joelle Grogan is joined by Professor Emily Jackson of the LSE, a specialist in medical law, and by barrister Dr Charlotte Proudman to navigate the law around assisted dying and to explain the differences between assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Is there a point to county court judgements if they can't be enforced? Social media's "legal queen", solicitor Tracey Maloney, answers a question from a listener, who got a county court judgment against a builder, but still hasn't got her money back.
Art or evidence? Drill music, with its sometimes violent-sounding words, has been used by the prosecution in criminal trials to help paint a picture of the defendants as gang members. But is it fair to claim lyrics like "try deadin' him" are proof of criminal intent, or are these words just fiction? Senior criminal barrister and co-founder of the "Art not Evidence" campaign Keir Monteith KC argues that drill is being used unfairly against Black boys and young men. The Crown Prosecution Service insists that they “would not use this evidence if it was not relevant.”
And a listener asks: is it legal to sunbathe naked in your garden?
Producers: Ravi Naik and Arlene Gregorius
Editor: Tara McDermott
Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele

Weekly conversation led by Dr Joelle Grogan that gives you an in-depth understanding of the law stories making the 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.
This week:
Protest law has been tightened up a lot in the last year, giving the police more leeway to stop disruption. But parts of the new powers have now been deemed unlawful by the High Court. So what is and isn't legal when it comes to protest? And how should the police handle protesters? Joelle explores all this with barrister Dr Sam Fowles and with Andy Walker from the College of Policing.
Is it legal to build on greenbelt land? Campaigners in Greater Manchester are taking legal action after Bury council announced plans to build 1500 homes on greenbelt.
And: why you may need a "Lasting Power of Attorney", even if you're married. If your spouse were to be incapacitated, being next of kin is not enough to make financial or health decisions about them. Social media's "legal queen", solicitor Tracey Maloney, talks us through how and when to get an LPA.
Producers: Ravi Naik and Arlene Gregorius
Editor: Tara McDermott
Production coordinator: Maria Ogundele

It’s a practical guide to navigating the law. Each week Joelle will be joined by a family of experts to offer in-depth understanding of the legal issues making the headlines, and explain how they affect us.
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.

Dame Sue Carr, Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, is the first Lady Chief Justice, the first woman to hold the role. She gives her first broadcast interview as head of the judiciary of England and Wales to Law in Action, for its farewell edition. She speaks about her priorities, hopes, and concerns, and marks the end of Law in Action by looking back at 40 years in the law. She also picks her favourite editions of the programme, and closes with a tribute to presenter Joshua Rozenberg.
Lord David Pannick KC is widely regarded as the most successful lawyer of his generation practising in his chosen area of the law, public law. Things might have turned out differently though: he had been approached to host Law in Action originally, and presented the pilot edition of the programme, produced by Joshua. He too looks back over the last 40 years and finds that much has changed in court.
We then look ahead to the future, and the next generation of those grappling with the law: we join 15-year old GCSE students at Trinity Academy in Brixton, south London, as they are taught The Big Legal Lesson - as part of a campaign by the charity Young Citizens. What do they make of the law?
Presenter: Joshua Rozenberg
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
Researcher: Diane Richardson
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Clare Fordham

Following a Court of Appeal ruling this week about a case referred to the senior judges by the Attorney General, those charged with criminal damage for actions like throwing red paint at a building as a protest, can no longer use a certain defence to be acquitted. Parliament had intended the defence for different circumstances. Protesters used to be able to claim that had the owners of the damaged property known of the reasons for the damage, such as to highlight climate change, they'd have agreed to it. The Attorney General, Victoria Prentis KC MP speaks exclusively to Joshua Rozenberg about what this victory means.
Prisons are almost full, and to help make room, the Justice Secretary Alex Chalk KC MP has announced that prisoners meeting certain criteria can be released up to two months early. Prison campaigners must be pleased, or are they? Andrea Coomber KC (hon), chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, has a more mixed reaction.
How are prisons in England and Wales dealing with inmates with severe mental health needs? Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB), which are often called the eyes and ears of the public in prison, believe that too often prisons rely upon tough segregation units to manage inmates with mental health needs. IMB volunteers share their observations, and Elisabeth Davies, IMB National Chair, calls for a faster transfer to secure hospital units instead.
Awaab Ishak was aged just two when he died as a direct result of exposure to mould in the home his family rented from Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. The coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report as a result, but it was only following a campaign by Awaab's parents and others that the law was changed. Awaab's Law, as it's being called, will specify the timeframes within which social landlords have to respond to complaints of mould. We hear from barrister Christian Weaver of Garden Court North, who represented Awaab's family.
Presenter: Joshua Rozenberg
Producer: Arlene Gregorius
Researcher: Diane Richardson
Editor: Clare Fordham
Production coordinator: Katie Morrison