Kids Law

What does the Lord Chancellor actually do? Who makes sure judges can make decisions independently? Why are courts taking so long to hear cases? And should children as young as 10 be held criminally responsible for their actions? In this episode Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Sir Robert Buckland KC , former Lord Chancellor, Justice Secretary, Solicitor General and criminal barrister, about one...

Who makes the rules in space—and what happens when things go wrong? Did you know there are more than 11,000 satellites orbiting Earth—and no traffic lights in space? From falling space debris to future cities on the Moon, this episode explores how laws work beyond Earth with leading international space lawyer Joanne Wheeler. Together, we explore: • How space law began—and why it was created • What...

Why does funding legal advice matter and how law affects everyone in society and why delays in courts and overcrowded prisons are becoming a serious problem.  Alma-Constance and Lucinda explore what’s happening inside the UK’s justice system with Richard Atkinson, criminal defence solicitor with more than 30 years’ experience and the 180th President of the Law Society of England and Wales.  In thi...

Should the Parthenon (often called the “Elgin”) Marbles be returned to Greece? In this episode of Kids Law , Alma-Constance and Lucinda explore one of the biggest cultural and legal debates in the UK. The ancient sculptures were taken from the Parthenon temple in Athens over 200 years ago and are now displayed in the British Museum. Some people believe they were legally acquired. Others argue they...

This episode is a listen back over the past 5 years since we launched the podcast.  If you've got any questions, ideas about a topic or someone to interview, get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!! You can email us at kidslaw@spark21.org , contact us through the website: www.kidslaw.info  or through social media: Facebook, X and Instagram @KidsLawInfo  Please subscribe, rate, and shar...

Want to know how you can influence the decisions that shape your life? Arthur Templeman-Lily at 17 years old is a children’s rights consultant from Wales, who works to ensure young people’s voices are heard in decisions that affect their lives. He tells Alma and Lucinda about his experience in children participating in shaping law and policy, and why Cardiff is a leader in children’s rights.  Arth...

Content Warning: This episode mentions domestic and sexual abuse, possession of weapons, and mental health difficulties in relation to behaviour that may lead to school exclusion. Children as young as 10 can be held responsible for crimes – but they also have special rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda talk to Florence Cole, an edu...

We hear in the news about people fleeing their homes to become asylum seekers or refugees, why is this?  Alma and Lucinda talk to Lance Bartholomeusz from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to find out: ·       The difference between refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants ·       Why so many people around the world are forced to leave their homes ·       What protections and rights refugees have under...

Did you know you could train as a solicitor straight from school? There are two different routes to becoming a solicitor –as a graduate and as an apprentice. In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda speak to Annabel Twose, a second-year trainee, and Matt Dady, a first-year solicitor apprentice at Fieldfisher's London office, a European law firm with 25 offices in 13 countries . Together th...

Research shows that smacking a child can be physically and emotionally damaging and it’s not an effective way to discipline them. In some parts of the UK, such as Scotland and Wales, smacking a child is against the law , even if you’re just visiting. But in England and Northern Ireland , the law is different - parents can still claim a defence of ‘ reasonable punishment’. In this episode, Alma-Con...

WARNING: Adults might want to listen to this episode before listening with young children, as we mention the words self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders in the context of examples of harmful online content. What are the legal implications for young people becoming influencers online? What happens if brands offer them sponsorship deals? These activities raise commercial, consent and ownership le...

There are laws which are supposed to protect our environment, but they haven’t stopped pollution and the destruction of the natural world. So, some rivers and forests gave been granted enforceable legal rights to stop this habitat destruction. Alma-Constance and Lucinda discussed this with one of the co-founders of the Lawyers for Nature organisation: Paul Powlesland a barrister at Garden Court Ch...

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...

In this episode, Alma-Constance and Lucinda look back at Series 4 where they've been talking to people working in the legal system who explain how laws affect us in everyday life, particularly for children and young people. The 12 episodes cover: the new Online Safety Act, alternative ways to resolve disputes, and why the Old Bailey is so famous,  how the law affects children when someone die...

After a major tragedy, public inquiries look at what happened, why it happened, and who is to blame, and what could be done to prevent this happening again.   One of the most notorious is the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, where many innocent people were falsely accused of crimes.  Alma and Lucinda spoke to Flora Page, a barrister at 23 Essex Street Chambers,  she recently represented the sub pos...

The Old Bailey is the nickname  for the court that hears the most serious criminal cases in England and Wales. Alma and Lucinda spoke to Her Honour, Judge Anuja Dhir KC, the first non-white judge to be appointed. She tells us: about her role as a judge and what it's like to work in such a historic court  how  children and young people are involved in the criminal justice system the special pr...

WARNING: This episode mentions death and dying in the context of the legal implications of death. We know that law affects us during our lives but what happens when we die to all our things social media accounts even our pets?  And how are children affected?  Alma and Lucinda talk to Melinda Giles, the Head of the Private Client and Court of Protection department at Giles Wilson Law Ltd about the...

At the Future Lawyer UK Conference, co-host Alma-Constance interviews Richard Susskind on Law, Tech and How It Affects Kids As They Grow Up. In this special interview, questions such as how AI will affect how laws are drafted will be explored! Professor Richard Susskind OBE KC (Hon) is half-lawyer, half-technologist. He has written 10 books and his work has been translated into 18 languages. His e...

Adults might want to listen to this episode before listening with young children, as we mention the words self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders in the context of examples of harmful online content. The new Act aims to protect young people from harmful content online and puts new obligations on online platforms to make them more responsible for their users safety. Alma - Constance and Lucinda sp...

If you write a song, create music or a fantastic invention, what can you do if someone copies your hard work? Alma- Constance and Lucinda speak to His Honour Judge Richard Hacon, Presiding Judge of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, known as IPEC. He tells us ·      That creative works, inventions and designs can be legal protected by intellectual property rights ·      There are differen...

Going to court can be lengthy, expensive and leave people feeling dissatisfied with the outcome. Alma- Constance and Lucinda speak to Frederick Way who is a Senior Dispute Resolution Consultant, Mediator and Trainer the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR).  He tells us  ·      the alternative ways to resolve disputes  ·      How mediation works ·      How people can be encouraged to wor...

What does ethics mean and why is it so important in the legal system and can it ensure   that lawyers can be trusted?  Alma- Constance and Lucinda speak to Richard Moorhead, Professor of Law and Professional Ethics at the University of Exeter Law School and Honorary Professor of Law at UCL. He is also a member of the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board in relation to the Post Office Horizon scanda...

Alma-Constance and Lucinda take a look back at the top 5 episodes over the 3 year lifespan of Kids Law podcast.  This episodes features: - former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett, the most downloaded episode  - former head of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Sir Max Hill KC, the most publicised episode across media  - former president of the UK Supreme Court, Baroness Brenda Hale  - barriste...

Did you know that you don’t have to go to university to become a lawyer? Some 17,000 people have been trained to become chartered legal executives (CILEX lawyers) who are fully qualified legal professionals.  Alma-Constance and Lucinda spoke  to Emma Davies the CILEX President who tells us about: The different schemes to train as a paralegal, legal executive or apprentice for those who want to spe...

Getting legal advice can be very expensive and many people can't afford it. Law centres are based in local communities to give free legal advice and assistance with social welfare problems such as homelessness, advice about welfare benefits and employment and immigration issues.   Alma-Constance and Lucinda talk to Franck Kiangala, Director and Immigration Solicitor at North Kensington Law Ce...