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Society, Politics & Law
Is citizenship nationality?
You can quit the gym, join a new golf club and move to a new city, but joining the citizenship club is not a choice; we are governed by the powers that decide who we are and what nation we belong to. Without agreeing to or choosing it, the vast majority of people in the world have their nationality conferred on them by where they were born or ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Cider: The new politics of food
As police crack down on social problems such as binge drinking, how can a small artisan cider maker take cider away from the streets and back onto the restaurant table? The humble apple - and cider, one of it's most pleasurable products lie at the heart of a new politics of food activism while the decline of the British apple orchard reveals a ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Pitfalls of Polls
What are opinions polls? A public form of political gossip, a way for politicians to test public reactions to policies or an accurate prediction of how people will vote? Opinion polls have their uses, but it is important to remember they do not, and are not intended to, predict the future. Getting political opinion polling in perspective is not ...
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Society, Politics & Law
The insecurity of security
Do you feel safe in your own home? Security measures, such as gated communities and CCTV, can remove people's rights and have a long-term physical impact on everyday life. Do these increasing attempts at security help or is it a vicious circle which increases our feelings of insecurity?
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Society, Politics & Law
Thailand: The Politics of Blood
In Thailand, the international media is the battleground for political ideas. Protests have become increasingly dramatic and well organised. In October 2008, Red-shirts, in their thousands, donated their own blood and poured it on the walls and under the gates of Government House while Yellow-shirted protesters staged a sit - in at Bangkok ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Coping with Depression
“You just want to step out of it, to step out of the whole race, the whole business. The monstrosity of life overwhelms you.” Following a nervous breakdown in 1995, actor and journalist Stephen Fry discovered he was suffering from bi-polar disorder – commonly known as manic depression. Symptoms of fear and sadness (often classed as ‘anxiety’ and...
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Society, Politics & Law
Exploring Law
Should we have the right to die? Should lawyers be passionate? Why are women still poorly represented in law? And since when did judges decide become of such interest to the public? These are just some of the topics covered in this fascinating compilation of discussions of law by Professor Gary Slapper of The Open University, and Frances Gibb, ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Newsworthy Lawyers
Historically judges and lawyers didn’t do interviews, give press conferences or be subject to journalistic scrutiny. Nowadays it is considered a matter of public interest that they engage with the media in order to increase public understanding of the justice system. Professor Gary Slapper discusses the developments that led to this ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Women in Law
Since 2002, the UK has seen the first female President of the Law Society, the first woman Chairman of the Bar, and the first woman at the Court of Appeal. And yet women are still poorly represented at the top of the legal profession. Is this because women continue to face discrimination, or do the working conditions at the top of the legal ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Witnesses and Evidence
Can we really expect jurors to fully understand the intricate and complex workings of the legal system? Should we really burden members of the public with the responsibility of resolving our criminal and civil disputes - or would we be better having a panel of experts? And what about expert witnesses? After so many recent miscarriages of ...
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Society, Politics & Law
Privacy Laws and the Media
With privacy and libel cases on the increase, and the recent surge in ‘no win no fee’ law suits, is it now too easy to sue for defamation? And are our privacy laws now so restrictive that we risk extinguishing debate? Gary Slapper, Professor of Law at The Open University, and Frances Gibb, Legal Editor of The Times, discuss the need to balance...
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Society, Politics & Law
Right to Die
In 1961 the Suicide Act made suicide legal in England and Wales but it remained a criminal offence to assist or encourage someone else to commit suicide. In 2010, following a successful legal battle by multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy, new guidelines were published on assisted suicide to clarify when people were likely to face ...