Law In Action

What will happen to the European Union judiciary after Brexit? Eleanor Sharpston QC is a British member of the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg. She argues it’s in the interests of both the UK and the EU for British judges to remain at the EU Court after Brexit - at least during a transitional period - because the UK will still be affected by its rulings. Also this week: transparency in the courts. When judges make decisions on sensitive personal and family issues, should their courts be open to all? Or does reporting put justice at risk? Joshua Rozenberg shines a light on this darker corner of the law. Producer: Neil Koenig

Joshua Rozenberg reports from a prison where inmates study legal issues alongside law students from Cambridge University. The academics who launched this ground-breaking project have found that both groups of students benefit by learning together. Plus, why four doctors have launched a Judicial Review of the Royal College of Physician’s assisted dying poll. Producers: Neil Koenig and Diane Richardson.

Joshua Rozenberg asks whether new laws are needed to protect online and social media users from abuse? Plus, in our latest look behind the scenes of courts large and small, we visit an immigration tribunal in central London. Joshua Rozenberg meets applicants who want to stay in Britain and judges who need an encyclopaedic knowledge of world affairs to decide whether they can remain.

We visit a problem-solving court in Coventry. Joshua Rozenberg speaks to judges, social workers and a mother whose drug addiction put her at risk of losing her children. Producer: Neil Koenig

Behind the scenes at the UK's top court: Joshua Rozenberg talks to staff, officials and the court’s most senior justices. Why do they allow some appeals and refuse even to hear others? How activist are they? And what effect did the Brexit challenge of 2016 have on the reputation of the judiciary? Producer: Neil Koenig

Judge Alex Calabrese can wield the big stick if he needs to. But peacemakers at the Red Hook Community Justice Centre in Brooklyn often find it more effective to pass round what they call a talking stick. Joshua Rozenberg finds out whether a Native American form of dispute resolution can be transplanted to a deprived corner of New York. Also, what the new director of public prosecutions for England and Wales thinks about screening jurors before they try rape cases. And one of the BBC team covering the Grenfell Tower Inquiry brings us up to date with the lines of evidence that have emerged so far. (Picture: Alex Calabrese, Acting Supreme Court Justice for the State of New York and Presiding Judge at Red Hook Community Justice Centre) Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson

Joshua Rozenberg hears the story of the extraordinary case that rewrote the way America is governed - giving the Supreme Court the power to overrule Congress. He discovers what American prosecutors get up to behind the closed doors of the grand jury room. And he asks whether we should be screening jurors in England and Wales for bias before they are allowed to serve on rape trials. Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson

There is a possibility of a new legal challenge to the tech giants. Early last year, an unknown American law student published a scholarly article in a distinguished journal. Lina Khan argued that competition law – known in the United States as anti-trust law – could be used to rein in the activities of huge enterprises like Amazon. Other lawyers disagree with her reasoning - but the Federal Trade Commission is assessing the arguments. Joshua Rozenberg sounds out opinions in the United States. Also this week: should offences committed in childhood mean a criminal record for life? Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson

Dennis Hutchings, a former soldier charged with attempted murder in Northern Ireland in 1974, says the UK Supreme Court should let him face trial by jury, rather than a hearing at a special court where a judge sits alone. Joshua Rozenberg speaks to Mr Hutchings and his lawyer. And in the first of a series of reports from the US, we investigate whether female lawyers face prejudice in the courtroom - including allegations of using tears to manipulate jurors. Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson

Some police forces are using automated facial recognition technology to pick suspects out of a crowd. But is face mapping a valuable tool in the fight against serious crime or a new threat to our civil liberties? And does it work? Joshua Rozenberg investigates. Also in this week's programme... Do body-worn video cameras help police to deal more effectively with domestic violence incidents - or do they make matters worse? And the mysterious case of the "pernicious weed"...who should pay when the wrong kind of vegetation - such as Japanese knotweed - is found on railway lines? Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson.

Does social media pose a threat to criminal justice - and can fair trials be ensured? In this week's programme, Sir Brian Leveson, head of criminal justice in the courts of England and Wales, tells Joshua Rozenberg that the law needs updating to cope with the growth in social media. And a retired senior judge from Northern Ireland considers whether more needs to be done to protect complainants - and defendants - in sexual assault trials. Also in this edition of Law in Action: something rather unusual - a private prosecution for fraud. Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson.

Is moving justice online a good idea? In British Columbia they have done just that, with a new online tribunal handling things like small claims and property disputes. Could something like this work in Britain? Joshua Rozenberg reports from Vancouver. Also in this week's programme: law is an immensely popular subject for students, but are they given sufficient warnings about how difficult it will be to find work as a solicitor or barrister - especially in the field of criminal law? And does Donald Trump have the ability to pardon himself were he to commit a crime? Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson.

Should it be easier to end a marriage? The Supreme Court is currently considering a rare defended divorce. Campaigners hope the case will prompt a change in the law in England and Wales - but others fear this will lead to divorce on demand. Joshua Rozenberg investigates. Also in this week's programme: Christina Blacklaws, incoming president of the Law Society of England and Wales, on the implications of an important milestone. A century after the reform that allowed them to become lawyers, most practising solicitors are now women. And, the Attorney General Jeremy Wright on what to do with the National Fund: nearly 500 million pounds which was meant to pay off the national debt. Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Diane Richardson.

David Gauke MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice speaks to Joshua Rozenberg about prisons, modernising the courts system, legal aid and the coroners service. Also: Could plans to change the way solicitors are regulated result in easier and cheaper access to legal services or put consumers at risk? Paul Philip, chief executive of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and deputy vice president of the Law Society, Simon Davis, discuss the pros and cons of the proposed changes. Plus the Secret Barrister, who blogs and tweets about life as a criminal barrister tells Law In Action why the criminal justice system is close to breaking point.

The government wants fully self-driving cars on UK roads by 2021 but which will be ready first - the technology or the law? Who is responsible in an accident - the owner or the manufacturer? Joshua Rozenberg meets the team planning a 200 mile driverless journey across the UK and speaks to barrister Lucy McCormick, co-author of Law and Driverless Cars, who explains how the legal landscape is evolving. Also: this week, the High Court is considering a challenge by two victims of the black-cab rapist, John Worboys. Among the points being considered is a challenge to a Parole Board rule, made by ministers, that says its proceedings must not be made public. Former DPP and chairman of the Parole Board Sir David Calvert-Smith discusses the desirability of a more transparent system. Plus: a new data protection law will soon come into effect. It's called the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, and it's designed to make sure that organisations take more care of how they store and use our personal informati

Is sex discrimination law failing women in the workplace? It's more than 40 years since parliament passed the first Sex Discrimination Act, making it unlawful for employers to discriminate against women in the workplace by treating them less favourably than men. Still, allegations of sexual discrimination and sexual harassment have dominated the news over the past few months. Joeli Brearley tells the story of how she lost her job after she told her employer that she was pregnant and Joshua Rozenberg asks former High Court Justice Dame Laura Cox and employment discrimination lawyer Karen Jackson whether the law itself needs reform. Also: Judges ought to know their sentencing law, but it's much harder to get sentencing right than it should be, according to the government's law reform advisers. The Law Commission is recommending a new sentencing code that will be much easier for judges to follow. Law in Action speaks to David Ormerod QC, the law commissioner in charge of the project. Plus the story of how

The number of prosecutions in England and Wales that collapsed because of a failure by police or prosecutors to disclose evidence increased by 70% in the last two years. Joshua Rozenberg speaks to the Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders and David Tucker from the College of Policing about their response to this rising concern. He also speaks to those directly affected by the failures - members of the public charged and taken to court because police failed to disclose evidence that would clear them. Such cases are nothing new to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice. Law in Action speaks to the CCRC's chair Richard Foster about the current wave of cases and his concerns that people are being wrongly imprisoned because evidence is not shared with defence teams. CONTRIBUTORS Clive Steer, businessman Julia Smart, barrister at Furnival Chambers Dr Hannah Quirk, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Law & Justice, University of Manchester Richard

Following the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate alleged links between Russians and Donald Trump's election campaign, Joshua Rozenberg finds out what the role of the special counsel involves, how he will go about his work and how the White House will be affected by the probe. Also in the programme: the BBC's Delhi Correspondent, Sanjoy Majumder, reports on the reaction to a recent Indian Supreme Court decision which has upset drinkers and liquor store owners - but pleased those affected by drink-driving accidents. And, as the African Union prepares to meet later this month, Joshua talks to a leading South African-based lawyer about the fierce debate taking place on whether African countries should continue to be part of the International Criminal Court.

In his first interview since taking office, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Sir Ian Burnett talks to Joshua Rozenberg. He explains what can be done to gain back public confidence. Also, if you are a foster carer, are you an employee or a worker? How a Scottish couple fought to have their status changed. Katie Gollop QC in conversation with Nemone Lethbridge who was called to the Bar nearly sixty years ago. She remembers why she was not allowed to use one particular facility in Chambers. Finally, as Paddington comes to the big screen again, immigration barrister Colin Yeo explains what the Peruvian bear's status is in England. Paddington 2 is directed by Paul King and produced by StudioCanal. Producers: Diane Richardson & Smita Patel Editor: Richard Vadon.

Joshua Rozenberg asks what's the point of investigating the dead over allegations of abuse. He speaks to the former judge Sir Richard Henriques, who is critical of recent police investigations into dead people accused of abuse. The programme also explores whether we need new laws to protect cyclists on our roads. Producer: Smita Patel Researcher: Diane Richardson.