Shows
Moral MazeHow just is our justice system?Proposed new guidance from the Sentencing Council for England and Wales – which is due to come into effect in April – would make the ethnicity, faith or personal circumstances of an offender a bigger factor when deciding whether to jail them. The independent body is responsible for issuing guidelines “to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing”. Official figures show that offenders from ethnic minorities consistently get longer sentences than white inmates for indictable offences. Supporters of the guidance see it as an important correction of implicit bias within the justice system, leading to the most effective balance of punis...2025-03-2056 min
Kids LawDid you know that ten year old children can treated as criminals in this country?That's right... the age of criminal responsibility for children in England & Wales is only 10 years old! This is the lowest age in Europe and one of the lowest worldwide. Alma- Constance and Lucinda talk to Kirsty Brimelow KC, an expert in international human rights, public and criminal law and recently elected Vice Chair of the Bar Council for 2025. She explained:How the law of criminal responsibility has come aboutThe sorts of crimes that children are charged withThe impact on the lives of children who are put into the criminal justice systemThe attempts to raise the age of criminal...2025-02-2730 min
The Thing About Witch HuntsModern Witch Hunts: Human Rights and Legal Solutions with Kirsty Brimelow KCExplore the pressing global challenge of modern witch hunts with Kirsty Brimelow KC, one of Britain's leading human rights barristers and incoming vice chair of the Bar Council. Drawing parallels between harmful traditional practices worldwide, Brimelow shares insights from her groundbreaking work developing protection orders and contributing to the 2021 United Nations resolution on witch hunting and ritual attacks.
Content Warning: This episode discusses sensitive topics including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and violence related to witchcraft accusations.
Brimelow shares expert insights on developing effective community engagement strategies while respecting cultural sensitivities. She demonstrates how fear and...2024-12-0448 min
Criminal Justice MattersCriminal Justice Matters: Becoming a barrister with Laurie-Anne Power KCIn this episode of the first series of Criminal Justice Matters - the authoritative podcast series from the Criminal Bar Association of England & Wales - the former chair of the CBA, Kirsty Brimelow KC, talks to Laurie-Anne Power KC about their lives and choice to pursue a career at the criminal bar.
The Criminal Justice Matters podcast is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications 2024-09-1331 minCriminal Justice MattersCriminal Justice Matters: Criminal Justice and Rape and Serious Sexual OffencesIn this third episode of Criminal Justice Matters, the
authoritative podcast from the Criminal Bar Association of England & Wales, the former chair of the CBA Kirsty Brimelow KC talks to Mary Prior KC about the issues surrounding the criminal justice system relating to rape and serious sexual assault cases.
Criminal Justice Matters is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications
2024-09-1332 minCriminal Justice MattersCriminal Justice Matters: Stars and Trailblazers of the Criminal Bar Part OneIn this fourth episode of Criminal Justice Matters, the
authoritative podcast from the Criminal Bar Association of England & Wales, the former chair of the CBA Kirsty Brimelow KC talks to some of the stars and trailblazers of the Criminal Bar. Here she speaks to Jeremy Dein KC and Nina Graham KC.
Criminal Justice Matters is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications
2024-09-1333 minCriminal Justice MattersCriminal Justice Matters: Stars and Trailblazers of the Criminal Bar Part TwoIn this fifth episode of Criminal Justice Matters, the
authoritative podcast from the Criminal Bar Association of England & Wales, the former chair of the CBA Kirsty Brimelow KC talks to stars and trailblazers at the Criminal Bar. In this episode she talks to Laurie-Anne Power KC and Jaime Hamilton KC.
Criminal Justice Matters is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications
2024-09-1335 minCriminal Justice MattersCriminal Justice Matters: Stars and Trailblazers of the Criminal Bar Part ThreeIn this sixth episode of Criminal Justice Matters, the
authoritative podcast from the Criminal Bar Association of England & Wales, the former chair of the CBA Kirsty Brimelow KC talks to the stars and trailblazers of the Criminal Bar. In this episode she talks to Courtenay Griffiths KC
This episode contains racist language which some listeners may find offensive.
Criminal Justice Matters is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications
2024-09-1332 minCriminal Justice MattersCriminal Justice Matters: The Lives of Young Junior Criminal BarristersIn this second episode of Criminal Justice Matters, the
authoritative podcast from the Criminal Bar Association of England & Wales, the former chair of the CBA Kirsty Brimelow KC talks to young junior barristers Zayd Ahmed and Jennifer Devans-Tamakloe about their decision to join the criminal bar.
Criminal Justice Matters is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications
2024-09-1330 min
The Transform Justice PodcastEp28: Gatekeeping justice - why so few rape cases make it to courtContent warning: this episode discusses reporting and court processes for sexual abuse. No graphic descriptions of sexual abuse are included.
Rape is widely acknowledged as one of the worst crimes someone can commit. So why do so few reports of rape result in a conviction?
In this difficult but important episode, hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by criminologist Betsy Stanko OBE and criminal and human rights barrister Kirsty Brimelow KC dive into the intricacies of the reporting and prosecution of sexual assault in the UK. They discuss whether police, the justice system, or juries a...2023-12-1531 min
NewscastTinker, Tailor, Soldier, BalloonThe US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to China after an alleged Chinese spy balloon flew across the state of Montana.Adam speaks to BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera as well as Aaron Flint, host of the Montana Talks breakfast radio show.And as disgraced pop star Gary Glitter is freed from prison, we hear from BBC correspondent Sarah Campbell who covered his trial in 2015, and barrister Kirsty Brimelow KC who explains why he's served half his 16-year jail term inside.Today's episode was presented by Adam Fleming and...2023-02-0332 min
The Law ShowWhy do so few rape cases go to court?Explaining the barriers to conviction at every stage of the criminal justice system. Prosecutions for the crime have declined by 40% over the last four years in England and Wales, although they have gone up in Scotland and Northern Ireland. And yet the number of cases reported to the police is higher than ever. What is going wrong? And what needs to change so that more survivors get justice - and to reduce the threat from rapists?
Joshua Rozenberg is joined by a specialist panel drawn from across the criminal justice system, to find out where the problems lie. They...2022-06-2128 minMoral MazeDirect ActionThe so-called Colston Four did not deny pulling down a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston, but last week in Bristol they were cleared of causing criminal damage. They argued that they were protesting for racial equality, “on the right side of history”, and a jury found in their favour. The four were celebrated by crowds outside the courthouse, part of a tradition, it seemed, of activists bringing social change by whatever means necessary. Their critics, on the other hand, say this is an invitation to vandalism since it sends a message that it is OK to take what...2022-01-1242 min
Better Human Podcast54 - Why the Human Rights Act mattersThe government wants to reform the Human Rights Act. In this episode - record before the proposals were announced - Francesca Klug, Kirsty Brimelow QC, Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos and I discuss why our human rights law is important. Thank you to Goldsmiths Law for allowing me to record this live event.2022-01-061h 36
Kids LawDo witches really exist and how do lawyers get involved?A Hallowe'en Special!In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda are talking to Kirsty Brimelow QC, a barrister and expert in international human rights, public and criminal law. We talk about the history of laws about witchcraft and why this is still relevant today in the UKthe balance of the freedom for people's right to believe what they wish and the need to protect people from harmthe role of human rights law and international organisations like the United NationsKirsty Brimelow QC chaired the first UN Workshop on Witchcraft and Human Rights in Geneva in 2017 and wor...2021-10-2823 min
Talking Law with Dr Sally Penni MBEKirsty Brimelow KCOn this episode I’ll be talking law to Kirsty Brimelow KCAn expert in International Human Rights Law, Kirsty is a very senior barrister, part of one of the most eminent sets in the world Doughty Street ChambersShe was also elected the first female Chair of the Bar for the Human Rights Committee of England and Wales and completed a six year term in December 2018.Presented by barrister Sally Penni, founder and chair of Women in the Law UK 2020-06-1036 min
Better Human Podcast19 - The Covid-19 lockdown and the law (Part 2)The response to Covid-19 is the key human rights issue in the world right now as states move to enforce ‘lockdowns’ of billions of people. In the UK the government has issued guidance on social distancing and emergency regulations which give the police extensive new powers over people's everyday lives. In Part 2 of this episode, I speak to Kirsty Brimelow QC about the new 'lockdown regulations' and the criminal law, and then with Aswini Weererante QC and Sophy Miles about the impact of the new laws on people with mental health issues. You can read source materials and other links...2020-04-0539 min
Beyond TodayKevin Spacey: what happens when #MeToo goes to court?Kevin Spacey made his first court appearance today over allegations of sexual assault. He entered the court surrounded by a media scrum, one that has accompanied the #MeToo movement since it began over a year ago. But the huge attention the campaign has attracted so far hasn’t been matched by criminal convictions or court appearances. As well as the difficulty in prosecuting sexual assault allegations, what added complications come with putting a celebrity on trial? The BBC’s Nada Tawfik, and lawyers Gloria Allred and Kirsty Brimelow QC, consider whether a famous person can get a fair trial. 2019-01-0722 min
Public International Law Discussion Group (Part I) and Annual Global Justice LecturesWhose Convention is it anyway? Addressing the facts and myths around the Human Rights ActKirsty Brimelow QC, Doughty Street Chambers - 23 October 20142014-12-1123 min