Cross Examination

Trying to persuade others to your own view of religion is no new phenomenon. But it's often done in the public spaces which we all share. Sometimes this creates problems, as Angus Cameron, a Christian street preacher, found out. While he was proclaiming his truth, specifically as set out in the first chapter of the biblical book of Romans, an anonymous complaint was made by a passerby to the p...

Justice, someone once said, is open to all, “like the Ritz”. But it's not just in getting into court where money counts. Some are worried that those with very significant resources can use litigation as a strategy to silence accusers and, in doing so, protect their reputation. Faced with such an opponent and the corresponding financial risk, the accuser is left with no alternative but to back...

In the UK, all people have a legal right to freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act 1998. But this right is not absolute, and is limited in the workplace to prevent harm and to protect others.  Employers must strike a careful balance between the need to prevent discrimination, harassment and disruption to the workplace, and an individual's right to express their view, even ones that a...

In 2022, a group of healthcare professionals were prosecuted for criminal damage against the investment firm JP Morgan. They argued that by drawing attention to the issue, they were preventing future harm. The judge directed the jury that they have no defence in law, but they were still acquitted.  Their case is being used by some as an illustration of the value in trial by jury and by others as a...

In her early 20s and freshly moved to London, “Jodie” had it all ahead of her. Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next. She came to discover that images of her were being used without her consent on online dating apps and on social media. And it didn't stop there. She was tipped off by an anonymous source that she'd been “deepfaked,” her face transposed onto the body of a wo...

Tom looks with barrister Margherita Cornaglia and solicitor Sahil Kher at the law on climate change. What exactly is "climate change law" and what are its elements? If the issue is international, how do domestic legal systems cope; and is it right that UK courts have recently shown a greater willingness to scrutinise Governmental decisions on climate? Tom also talks to the disability rights campai...

Tom explores how employment law is dealing with the gig economy. He listens with guests to the story of James Farrar, Uber driver turned campaigner, about the case he took to the Supreme Court to establish worker rights, considering it alongside the subsequent case involving Deliveroo which went the other way. Is the greater flexibility enjoyed by those working in the gig economy a good thing, and...

Tom and guests, Michael Brotherton and Emma Swann, discuss the law on school inspections. In the wake of the terrible death of Ruth Perry, a headteacher who took her own life in January 2023 knowing that a report labelling her school “Inadequate” was going to be published, they reflect on where matters stand legally.  They listen to a headteacher about his own experience of feeling powerless to ch...

The timing of the Prime Minister’s announcement of the election last month took many people by surprise, but the conduct of parties, candidates and others may be turning out to be rather more predictable. The familiar accusation that the other party is “lying” has already been made with force; questions of misinformation (or disinformation) abound; and interest has been reinvigorated in the questi...

Tom talks to immigration experts Toufique Hossain and Roberta Haslam about the law on asylum. They listen to the story of "Mr A", a man who fled Sierra Leone having been captured and beaten by the rebels during the civil war but whose asylum claim in the UK failed, leading to two decades of unsettled status. They use his story to explain the nature of asylum, the process of seeking it, a...

Adam Wagner and Francesca Cociani join Tom to discuss the law on protest.  They explore how far a protestor accused of a crime may have a legal defence to an action which they believe is morally justified. They look at when, outside the criminal law, a court can prevent protest through so-called "protest injunctions". And they'll consider the story of Dr Sarah Benn, a GP suspended by...

Cross Examination is back. As the General Election looms, leading UK barrister Tom Cross and expert guests look at how the law currently deals with society's biggest cultural, moral and ethical issues, from Protest, to Asylum, to School Inspections, and much more. A podcast for law people, lay people, and everyone in between. We want to hear from you. Get in touch on X, TikTok and YouTube Shor...

Max Hardy and Joanna Hardy-Susskind join Tom to examine miscarriages of criminal justice. They’ll look at what can go wrong, and has gone wrong, with the criminal trial process, and the flaws in the systems designed to provide redress for those failings. They’ll consider the case of Andy Malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit, whether lessons from his case should lead t...

Smita Jamdar and James Murray join Tom to examine the law’s protection for free speech in UK Universities, and how it’s currently being used. They’ll discuss a change made to the law in May 2023 by which the Government hopes to strengthen free speech values. And Tom speaks to David Isaac CBE, formerly Chair of Stonewall and Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, about his take on free...

Mark Stephens CBE and Jonathan Coad discuss with Tom how the law protects reputations from damage by the media - or how some think it fails to do so. They look at both the regulatory and legal protections and explore how they differ across different forms of media, as well as considering the particular challenges faced by lawyers working on either side of the fence. Tom also speaks to beauty thera...

Zoe Gannon and Ben Fullbrook take a look with Tom at the law on the still new school subject in England of “Relationships and Sex Education”, which some parents regard as controversial. They’ll look at what has, and has not, legally changed, and consider what may be coming next for teachers and students – and the lawyers who advise them. Tom also speaks to Miriam Cates MP who successfully requeste...

Edward Henry KC and Shannett Thompson consider with Tom the law on access to medical cannabis. In 2018, following the campaign of Hannah Deacon, whose son Alfie Dingley has severe treatment resistant epilepsy, the Government changed the law so as to allow cannabis to be prescribed on the NHS. But since then, only a vanishingly small number of children with conditions apparently improved by the med...

Dee Masters and Jamie Susskind join Tom to examine the law’s answers to the problems caused by the machine learning algorithms being increasingly used to make decisions about our lives. How does the law handle discriminatory or unfair results produced by software used by the police, for example, to work out where to target resources in investigating crime; or by employers to decide who to hire and...

The law applies to us all. Lawyers have a duty to explain it. Leading UK barrister Tom Cross examines what the law has to say on the social, cultural, and ethical issues of the day, from AI to medical cannabis. Tom takes an independent look with expert panellists, and responds to interviews with those directly affected. A podcast for lawpeople, laypeople, and everyone in between. Get in touch on T...