Cross Examination

About Cross Examination

The law applies to us all. Lawyers have a duty to explain it. Leading UK barrister Tom Cross examines what the law has to say on the social, cultural, and ethical issues of the day, from AI to medical cannabis. Tom takes an independent look with expert panellists, and responds to interviews with those directly affected. A podcast for lawpeople, laypeople, and everyone in between. Get in touch on Twitter/X, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts at @CrossExaminePod, or on our website: www.crossexamination.co.uk. Written and presented by Tom Cross. Produced by Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Lennon Hutton.

Publisher

Cross Examination

Category

news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Oct 2023

Latest episode

22 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Oct 2026

   The Chagos Islands

   In 1814, the United Kingdom gained control of Mauritius from France. That included a group of 60 islands about a thousand miles northeast of Mauritius. Today, those islands continue to be administered from London where they're officially referred to as the British Indian Ocean Territory, but you probably know them as the Chagos Islands. In 1965, the UK detached the islands from Mauritius before Mauritius gained independence a few years later. Around the same time, thousands of Chagossians were forcibly removed to places like Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the UK to make way for a new military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia. Much more recently, in 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion that the UK's detachment of Mauritius had breached international law and that the UK was under an obligation to bring its administration of the Chagos to an end. In October 2024, the Starmer government announced that it had reached a deal with the Mauritian government to hand over the Chagos Islands. But almost two years on, those negotiations are still not complete, and some think may be dead in the water, after facing criticism from US President Donald Trump, and perhaps curiously at first glance, some Chagossians. So, what next for the Chagos Islands? Why do the opinions of the United States and another country, the Maldives, matter? And what does the Chagos story tell us about international law in today's geopolitical climate? On this episode of Cross Examination, Tom is joined by: Ian Park, international law specialist and  barrister practicing out of Essex Court Chambers. Before coming to the bar, he spent 23 years in the Royal Navy, where he served as the head of Navy Legal, leaving with the rank of Commodore. He was formerly a Harvard Law School Fellow and has advised the UK government, NATO, and UK allies and partners on a wide range of international law matters. Yuan Li Zhu , an assistant professor of international relations and international law at Leiden University, a senior fellow at Policy Exchange, and a research associate at the University of British Columbia. He's advised the British and Canadian governments on a wide range of legal and foreign policy issues. Bertrice Pompe, a Chagossian activist who was one of three to bring a legal challenge to the High Court, petitioning against the deal struck by the UK and Mauritius. Cross Examination is written and presented by Tom Cross KC. Produced by and Alex Rees and Kian Leong Tan ⁠https://www.crossexamination.co.uk/ (https://www.crossexamination.co.uk/)

2. 

   29 Apr 2026

   Street Speech

   Trying to persuade others to your own view of religion is no new phenomenon. But it's often done in the public spaces which we all share. Sometimes this creates problems, as Angus Cameron, a Christian street preacher, found out. While he was proclaiming his truth, specifically as set out in the first chapter of the biblical book of Romans, an anonymous complaint was made by a passerby to the police that something he had said was offensive, and he was arrested and made the subject of a so-called non-criminal hate incident. He was later to be released without charge and had the record of the incident deleted. How freely does the law in this country allow us to express ourselves in public spaces? Is the law favouring the expression of fashionable ideas over those which are not? And is it more difficult to express criticism of religion than to manifest religion? On this episode of Cross Examination, Tom is joined by: Bryn Harris, Chief Legal Counsel at the Free Speech Union, the largest free speech organization in the UK. Bryn coordinates the FSU’s legal work in a wide range of fields including crime, employment, defamation and public law. Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of the National Secular Society, a nonprofit campaigning organisation that advocates for secularism, including the separation of religion and state, freedom of religion or belief for all and an inclusive and fair society. Cross Examination is written and presented by Tom Cross KC. Produced by Basil Oxtoby and Alex Rees https://www.crossexamination.co.uk/ (https://www.crossexamination.co.uk/)

3. 

   13 Apr 2026

   SLAPPs

   Justice, someone once said, is open to all, “like the Ritz”. But it's not just in getting into court where money counts. Some are worried that those with very significant resources can use litigation as a strategy to silence accusers and, in doing so, protect their reputation. Faced with such an opponent and the corresponding financial risk, the accuser is left with no alternative but to back down. For that reason, some people welcome rules combatting Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPPs, which are now found on the statute book. But whether or not anti-SLAPP rules are on balance a good thing, and if so, their proper contours, remains the subject of vigorous debate. On this episode of Cross Examination, Tom is joined by: Dan Neidle, tax lawyer, journalist and commentator. Dan was subject to SLAPP litigation after his investigation into a fellow lawyer’s involvement in a tax avoidance scheme. Matthew Gill, defamation lawyer at Good Law Project, a not-for-profit that seeks to defend human rights and fight for equality through strategic litigation. Matt frequently represents activists and journalists who face legal claims after speaking out on issues of public interest. Iain Wilson, vice chair of the Society of Media Lawyers and the managing partner of Brett Wilson, a central London firm specialising in defamation and privacy law, as well as regulatory defence. His firm acts for claimants and defendants, both in litigation and pre-publication matters. Cross Examination is written and presented by Tom Cross KC, and produced by Alex Rees. https://www.crossexamination.co.uk/ (https://www.crossexamination.co.uk/)

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

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