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Charon QC is the pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot who writes the Charon QC blog.

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LawCasts is designed to focus on legal news and law podcasts
Editor
Mike Semple Piggot
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Charon QC is the pseudonym of Mike Semple Piggot who writes the Charon QC blog.
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Charon QC Lawcasts: Civil Liberties
The Charon lawcasts are hosted on Insite Law Magazine. You will be taken to the Insite Law magazine page for each of the podcasts below.

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Lawcast 119: Access to Justice denied? Legal Aid... or the lack of it.
Today I am talking to Steve Hynes the director of the Legal Action Group.
Listen to the podcast |

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Lawcast 112: James Welch, Head of Legal for Liberty
Today I am talking to James Welch, Head of Legal for Liberty, the cross-party organization for the protection of civil liberties and human rights. Liberty was one of the sponsors the recent Convention on Modern Liberties and Shami Chakrabarti the director of Liberty is well known through television, radio and press coverage for promoting the views and interests of Liberty.We talk about the history, aims and objectives of Liberty and three topical and current issues of our times: ID Cards, the use of torture and freedom of speech.
Listen to the podcast with James Welch
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Lawcast 110: A report from the Convention on Modern Liberty
Short podcast with blogger, Oedipus Lex: A report from the Convention on Modern Liberty - Listen to the Podcast
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Lawcast 109: The Jack Straw veto on FOI disclosure of Cabinet Minutes relating to the decision to go to war with Iraq
Today I am talking to Carl Gardner, barrister, ex government lawyer and author of the Head of Legal blog about Jack Straw's use of the veto under s.53 Freedom of Information Act 2000
Listen to the report with Carl Gardner
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Lawcast 108: Michael Burdett
Today I am talking to Michael Burdett, a solicitor and consultant with HCL Hanne & Co in London. He is a past-president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and founder committee member of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association.
In last week’s Law Society Gazette, Michael Burdett wrote an article entitled UNBALANCING THE SCALES OF JUSTICE - the sub headline for which was "The Legal Services Commission is colluding with ministers to undermine the the rights of suspects and defendants…."
Listen to the podcast with Michael Burdett
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Lawcast 106: Roger Smith, Director of Justice, on civil liberties and human rights.
Today I am talking to Roger Smith OBE a solicitor who has been director of JUSTICE since November 2001. He has been director of legal education and training at the Law Society; director of the Legal Action Group; solicitor to the Child Poverty Action Group and director of West Hampstead Community Law Centre. He is an honorary professor at the University of Kent and a visiting professor at London South Bank University.
Roger explains what Justice does… but we then discuss the concerns raised by Lord Phillips, the former Chief Justice and now senior Law Lord, and the concerns of Sir Ken McDonald, David davies, former MI5 Chief Stella Rimington and even David Blunkett, a former Home secretary only today, that our liberties are being eroded needlessly.
Listen to the podcast with Roger Smith
Justice Website
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Lawcast 104: With Ian Parker-Joseph, Leader of The UK Libertarian Party
Today I am talking to Ian Parker-Joseph MD of Parker-Joseph Consulting, crisis management, and elected NCC member of the Libertarian Party, UK which he now leads.
Listen to the podcast with Ian Parker-Joseph
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Lawcast 103: Carl Gardner on the Lords judgment in Qatada
Today I am talking to Carl Gardner, barrister, ex government lawyer and author of the Head of Legal blog about the House of Lords Qatada judgment and the aftermath ….
Listen to the report with Carl Gardner
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Carl Gardner
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Lawcast 101: Charon reports on the Geert Wilders affair...
Today I am talking to Carl Gardner, barrister, writer, ex government lawyer and author of the Head of Legal blog about the possibly unlawful exclusion of Geert Wilders.
Wilders has been excluded under regulations 19(1) and 21 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, which faithfully copy out and implement the requirements of article 27 of Directive 2004/38 on the rights of EU citizens to move freely.
Listen to Podcast 101
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Lawcast 93: Judge John L Kane on the war on drugs
Today I am talking to John L. Kane , a senior District Judge in Denver, Colorado, United States. John has very robust views on the War on drugs and the antiquated Rules of Civil Procedure and the extent to which judges have stopped adjudicating in courts in order to meet the Tsunami of data generated in this information age.
Listen to Podcast | Transcript of Podcast interview |
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Podcast 80: With Carl Gardner on The arrest of Damien Green MP
Podcast 75: Carl Gardner on the Max Mosley judgment, privacy and exemplary damages
Lawcast 57: The Irish Referendum "NO" vote and The EU Lisbon Treaty.
A discussion with Carl Gardner, author of the Head of Legal blog, on the practical implications of the Irish "No" vote.
Lawcast 56: With Carl Gardner on 42 days
We discuss: 42 days - The deals - What happens when it gets to the Lords and find time to look at what the Irish are doing with their referendum on The Lisbon Treaty. |
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Lawcast 83: With Gerald Bermingham, Barrister on The Menezes shooting verdict
Today I am talking to Gerald Bermingham, an ex Labour MP and barrister practising at No 5 Chambers in Birmingham and London. about the verdict in the Menezes inquest.
Gerald Bermingham explains what an inquest is briefly and then goes on to discuss why a coroner can direct a jury not to bring in a verdict of unlawful killing and what an open verdict (as in this case) is.
Listen to the podcast
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Podcast 67: R v Davis - Witness Anonymity with Andrew Keogh, Barrister
IN THE CAUSE
R v Davies (Appellant) (On appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division))
I quote from the speech of Lord Bingham, the senior law lord at paragraph 5 : It is a long-established principle of the English common law that, subject to certain exceptions and statutory qualifications, the defendant in a criminal trial should be confronted by his accusers in order that he may cross-examine them and challenge their evidence.”
Today I am talking to Andrew Keogh, a barrister, published author and author of the White Rabbit blog about the case and the proposed anonymity legislation
Listen to the podcast
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