About this episode

Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC respond to listener questions regarding recent high-profile cases and the implications of media bans and sentencing decisions.

The last three episodes of Double Jeopardy covering the media ban on convicted murderer Jeremy Bamber, the Fordingbridge rape sentences and the murder of Henry Nowak have generated big audiences and plenty of comments and questions from listeners. And so in this week’s episode Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC respond to a range of listeners’ questions including – why bother to debate the rights and wrongs of the decision by the prison authorities to ban Bamber from all contact with the media given the numerous unsuccessful attempts he has made to overturn his convictions? Is it really necessary for a journalist to be able to have a face to face meeting with a prisoner when researching his/her claim to be a victim of a miscarriage of justice? Should politicians stay out of sentencing decisions altogether or was it acceptable for Keir Starmer to express his personal view on the sentences meted out to the child rapists in the Fordingbridge case? Should a child convicted of an “adult crime” such as rape be treated as an adult in sentencing terms as the mother of one of the girl victims has publicly urged? (Since recording the episode we learned that the hearing of the Attorney…

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