Is the UK heading toward a constitutional clash over crime and justice?

Exploring a wide range of pressing issues, from the government’s proposed emergency legislation to override revised sentencing guidelines, to the implications of an international summit on organised migration crime. Examining the complexities of asylum claims, the growing controversy around Article 8 of the Human Rights Act, and how media narratives are shaping public perception of the UK legal system.

As expert legal commentators, Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC explore the mounting tension at the heart of UK law and politics - where legal principles collide with political pressure.

Ken and Tim also explore growing political pressures in the UK as they relate to pre-sentence reports, criticisms of the Sentencing Council, and the broader debate over a so-called two-tier justice system. They focus on the UK criminal justice crisis, rising prison populations, and the shifting line between the executive and the judiciary - highlighting real risks to judicial independence, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.

This is UK politics explained at its most urgent - where current events, high-profile legal cases, and ideological clashes converge. Whether you’re a lawyer, policymaker, or politically curious listener, Double Jeopardy delivers unmatched legal system insights and expert legal commentary from two of the UK’s most experienced legal voices.

First the letter from Lord Justice Davis to the Lord Chancellor dated 20th March 2025 can be found here.

Just Stop Oil protesters appeal against sentence can be found here.

-----

Covering the critical intersections of law and politics in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy. With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain’s legal and political future.

What happens when law and politics collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain’s legal and political system?

Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays at 6am GMT.

Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.

Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law.

Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades. Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape.

If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today in Focus, you’ll love Double Jeopardy.

Two Tier Justice, Mass Migration, and a Pound Shop Trump in the UK Parliament