Today I am talking to Carl Gardner , barrister, ex government lawyer and author of the Head of Legal blog about Jack Straw’s use of the veto under s.53 Freedom of Information Act 2000 Listen to the report with Carl Gardner | Version for iTunes

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Lawcast 109: The Jack Straw veto on FOI disclosure of Cabinet Minutes relating to the decision to go to war with Iraq

26th February: Daily law news and news podcast up on Insite Law - and it is a big update on the UK blawgs section.

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26th February: Daily law news and news podcast up on Insite Law

I am doing a podcast soon with Steve Hynes, Director of The Legal Action Group (LAG) as part of my current series of podcasts on civil liberties and human rights.  We plan to focus on Legal Aid (or the lack of it) in civil cases and access to justice issues.  LAG has a book on Legal Aid coming out in mid-March and e’ll certainly mention that in our podcast. Steve is the director of the Legal Action Group (LAG). LAG is a charity that through its publishing and training services plays an important role in increasing lawyers’ and advisers’ knowledge of the law. It also carries out policy and campaigning work mainly focused on publicly funded legal services, advocating for the voice of the end-user to be heard. Other Lawcasts on Civil Liberties in the series so far : Roger Smith, Director of Justice on civil liberties and human rights Michael Burdett, Unbalancing the Scales of Justice Carl Gardner, on the Qatada judgement Carl Gardner on Freedom of Speech - the Geert Wilders exclusion Ian  Parker-Jospeh, Leader of the UK Libertarian Party

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Coming soon… lawcast with Steve Hynes, Director of LAG…

Lawcast 108: Michael Burdett Today I am talking to Michael Burdett, a solicitor and consultant with HCL Hanne & Co in London. He is a past-president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors Association and founder committee member of the Criminal Law Solicitors Association. In last week’s Law Society Gazette, Michael Burdett wrote an article entitled UNBALANCING THE SCALES OF JUSTICE -  the sub headline for which was “The Legal Services Commission is colluding with ministers to undermine the the rights of suspects and defendants….” Listen to the podcast with Michael Burdett *** Podcast version for iTunes

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Lawcast 108: Michael Burdett - Unbalancing the Scales of Justice

It has been some time since I had The Queen over to Charon TV. Tonight she talks turkey about government and then talks about the cricket, Slumdog Millionaire and Sir Allen Stanford, the Texan Billionaire. Watch the movie

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Charon interviews H M The Queen about Government and cricket

I began my day early this morning, well before the sun was up and, as is often the case, went on to Twitter after clearing the work side of my life. My first post on Twitter came as dawn was breaking.  It read: “Bonjour…another day begins in London… not many people about. All is quiet. Waiting for the sea gulls and cormorants to fly by.” The gulls did come… many hundreds, possibly over a thousand of them, like wave after wave of bombers from the war over British skies, save that their mission was peaceful.  They were on their way towards the West to have their breakfast on the river further upstream. I watched them, sipping a mug of hot tea and smoked a few cigarettes.  It was a good way to spend fifteen minutes or so. Breakfast for me was a toasted chicken sandwich - a rather bizarre choice you may think and you would be right to think that.  I am now on a chicken sandwich obsession.  Months ago I depleted the seas of smoked mackerel fillets until I could not face another mackerel for months to come. Soon, I shall tire of chicken sandwiches and move on to some other fad. Be that as it may… there are serious matters to report in my letter to you this week. I don’t give interviews very often, not that I get asked that often. I suffer from cyber-schizophrenia… never entirely sure whether I am my alter ago and pseudonym Charon QC or the other bloke.  But.. tonight I was interviewed by Natasha Phillips of the Divorce Manual Blog and I managed to try and be sensible for part of it, at least.  If you would like to listen to me be being *Tango’d* - Natasha did a very good job. In defence of our Civil Liberties… Where does one start? Like many, I have had enough of the erosion of civil liberties which continues remorselessly under Prime Mentalist Brown’s unlected tenure of the office of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Empty Treasury. So… I have started doing a series of podcasts (or Lawcasts as I like to call them now after my early morning Rioja.. more of this later)… on civil liberties. I began with  *Lawcast* with Ian Parker-Joseph, leader of the UK Libertarian Party and tomorrow I do a lawcast with Roger Smith, Director of Justice, the human rights and law reform organisation.  I intend to invite othe commentators with a view on Civil Liberties and who knows… maybe a politician or two may be prepared to be interviewed?  One can but ask. Today, I set up a spin-off website to my Insite Law mag site - LAWCASTS.net as a site for my own “Lawcasts” and podcasts from other bloggers and lawyers.  If you are a blogger, academic or lawyer and you would like to promote your podcasts - please let me know and I will give you your own space/link on Lawcasts.net On the subject of podcasts… the modern Rake’s progress continues in West London Man with George in custody at La Guardia airport, New Yoork. He is visited by his lawyer who turns out to be a serious real criminal defense lawyer, Scott Greenfield, author of the excellent Simple Justice Blog. Lawyer Greenfield puts up with no nonsense from George.  The script was largely written for this episode by Colin Samuels of the Infamy of Praise blog with advice and guidance being given by Scott and ‘Charon’. Gonzo journalism gone mad?  Possibly. Listen to West London Man 25: The La Guardia Archipelago Insite Law newswire My weekly newswire seems to be of some use to users.  Although I publish it each week on both Insite Law and the Insite Law Blog - you may find it useful to have your own copy by email.  If you would like a copy of the newswire delivered to your in-box - please sign up here. If you would like to see what #4 contained - click here I’m orf for a chicken sandwich. I may be back later.  Have a good week. Regards as always,

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Letter from London: 22 February 2009

West London Man 25: The La Guardia Archipelago Following his arrest at La Guardia Airport  in New York City (Episode 24), George has been relieved  of the diamonds and jewellery he received from financier Bernard Madoff and is now a guest of the American authorities in a nearby detention center. As an Englishman with refined cultural and culinary sensibilities, George considers these austere surroundings akin to an outer circle of Dante’s Inferno or perhaps to Scotland. His defense counsel, the well-known New York lawyer Scott Greenfield, shepherds him through the American legal system while his wife, Caroline, secures matters on the home front.  Although storm clouds continue to gather, George has resolved that he will not be broken by his present circumstances. Allowed writing materials by his captors, he has begun to compose an epic memoir…. To find out what happened you’ll have to listen to the podcast or download the script. The podcast has great music and sound effects as well as some pretty ‘classy’ acting! Listen to the podcast (14 mins 21 secs) Download the script in pdf format Notes: West London Man 25 was written by Colin Samuels , Scott Greenfield and Charon.  Colin Samuels and Diane Jankiewicz played the parts of the La Guardia Detention Centre guards.  Lawyer Greenfield was played by Scott Greenfield, a well known criminal defense lawyer in New York and author of the Simple Justice blog Other episodes of West London Man

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West London Man 25: The La Guardia Archipelago

Daily legal news, podcast and major update to UK blogs is now up on Insite Law. Story of The Day “ The Independent reports that The full extent of state powers to detain people without charge, cover up Government errors, hold the DNA of the innocent and share personal data between public bodies has been revealed in a devastating analysis of the erosion of civil liberties in Britain over the past decade. Almost 60 new powers contained in more than 25 Acts of Parliament have whittled away at freedoms and broken pledges set out in the Human Rights Act and Magna Carta, according to a new audit of laws introduced since Labour came to power in 1997. The dossier, compiled by the Convention on Modern Liberty, criticises police powers to detain terror suspects for 28 days without charge, new stop-and-search powers handed to police (allowing them to stop people without reason at airports and other designated areas), and restrictions on the right of peaceful protest. It is the first time such a picture of the erosion of rights under Labour has been published. The rise in surveillance in Britain is also documented, including new laws allowing individuals to be electronically tagged, and the legal interception of letters, emails and phone calls.”

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20th February: Daily Legal news etc up on Insite Law

Daily news and news podcast up on Insite Law Sign-up for a free email weekly newswire | Read Newswire #3: 15 February

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19th February: News and daily podcast up on Insite Law

Daily legal news and podcast up on Insite Law.  New Law Reports section (Click link on header) Issue #3 of the Insite Law Newswire is also up on Insite Law |  S ign up to get your Free email version.

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16th February: Daily News Podcast up on Insite Law