Criminal Justice Matters

About Criminal Justice Matters

The Criminal Bar Association of England & Wales presents a regular series of podcasts concerning the most pressing issues facing criminal barristers and the criminal justice system.

Publisher

The Criminal Bar Association

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 May 2024

Latest episode

3 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Aug 2026

   Episode 12: Being Black in Criminal Justice – Is the Profession Racist?

   The statistics on judicial diversity released by the Ministry of Justice in July (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2026-statistics)were stark, showing that only 1.2% of judges across England and Wales are Black. What’s more, that figure has remained static for the past 10 years, and there is currently only one High Court Judge who is black, appointed last year. In this episode Riel Karmy-Jones KC⁠ (https://redlionchambers.co.uk/barrister/riel-karmy-jones-kc/) , Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, speaks to three prominent Black Barristers, Laurie-Anne Power KC⁠ (https://www.25bedfordrow.com/site/people/profile/laurie-anne.power), ⁠Keir Monteith KC ⁠ (https://gardencourtchambers.co.uk/barrister/keir-monteith-kc/)and ⁠Stephen Akinsanya OBE (https://15nbs.com/portfolio/stephen-akinsanya/)about the under representation of black criminal barristers and judges, and asks whether thelack of diversity at the criminal bar and in the judiciary strikes at the heart of fairness in our criminal justice system. Keir, Laurie-Anne and Stephen share their personal experiences, and offer explanations as to why even in 2026, despite training and high level commitments to address racism, the problem persists, despite David Lammy, MP, (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/david-lammy) being appointed in 2025 as the first black Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, who also held the post of Deputy Prime Minister, having previously highlighted the issue in 2017. Riel, Keir, Laurie-Anne, and Stephen all work in serious and complex criminal cases across the country. The episode also contains extracts from a speech made by a black member of the junior bar, Leon-Nathan Lynch⁠⁠ (https://www.25bedfordrow.com/site/people/profile/llynch). in 2022. ⁠ (https://www.25bedfordrow.com/site/people/profile/llynch) If you have opinions or experience of the issues raised in this episode, please do get in touch with the CBA via the website or through social media. Criminal Justice Matters is edited and produced by Adam Batstone Media & Communications (https://www.adambatstone.co.uk/)

2. 

   26 May 2026

   Episode 11: In Conversation with Lord Justice Edis

   In this episode of the Criminal Justice Matters podcast from the Criminal Bar Association (https://www.criminalbar.com/) of England and Wales, Kate Bex KC (https://redlionchambers.co.uk/barrister/kate-bex-kc/) and Chris Henley KC (https://www.mountfordchambers.com/profile/chris-henley-kc/)talk to the Vice-President of the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, Lord Justice Edis (https://www.judiciary.uk/guidance-and-resources/lord-justice-edis/). In his 45 year career at the Bar Lord Justice Edis has held many distinguished roles including; Head of Chambers at Atlantic Chambers in Liverpool, Senior Treasury Counsel of the Central Criminal Court from 2008 until 2014, High Court Judge in the King’s Bench Division. As Senior Presiding Judge, he was closely involved in restarting jury trials following the Covid 19 pandemic. He has been Vice Chair of the Sentencing Council since August 2025 and he was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2021. In the podcast Lord Justice Edis sets out his thoughts on the efforts being made to tackle the backlog of cases in the Crown Court, and describes the different use of listing practices in some circuits which are beginning to reap rewards in terms of cutting the backlog. The podcast touches on the increased of use of Artificial Intelligence in the courts and the arguments for and against AI. The increased use of cameras in court is discussed and what impact that may have on the criminal justice system and the public’s perception of it. And Lord Justice Edis reflects on the negative impact of dwindling ‘conviviality’ among legal professionals and talks about his experiences as a keen cricketer, representing his Chambers in matches played with and against his colleagues. Criminal Justice Matters is produced and edited on behalf of the Criminal Bar Association by Adam Batstone Media & Communications (https://www.adambatstone.co.uk/)

3. 

   27 Apr 2026

   Episode 10: Martin Shaw sets out his support for The Criminal Bar

   In this episode of the Criminal Justice Matters podcast from the Criminal Bar Association of England and Wales (https://www.criminalbar.com/)Simon Spence KC (https://redlionchambers.co.uk/barrister/simon-spence-kc/)and Kate Bex KC (https://redlionchambers.co.uk/barrister/kate-bex-kc/) speak to the award-winning actor and long-term supporter of the Criminal Bar, Martin Shaw. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Shaw) From appearing in The Professionals in the 1980s, Judge John Deed in the 2000s and Inspector George Gently in the 2010s, Martin has often starred in leading roles relating to the criminal justice system. While he says this was more by accident than design, he does have a long-standing belief in fairness and the importance of justice. He says his career has left him with a deep respect for those working at the Criminal Bar and a desire to depict the system accurately. As a direct consequence of his work, Martin is a long-time supporter and advocate for the Kalisher Trust (https://www.thekalishertrust.org/), which helps young people from diverse backgrounds to make a career at the Criminal Bar. Criminal Justice Matters is produced and edited by Adam Batstone Media & Communications (https://www.adambatstone.co.uk/)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

4.9 / 5

8 ratings

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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