"The law is complex but it isnt something that people should be afraid of and I hope, via this podcast series, to clarify some of the more contentious issues."
Sally Penni MBE
The founder of Women in the Law UK, Sally Penni MBE, has launched a new podcast series aimed at sharing best practice in the legal profession and beyond. In the “Law and Guidance” series, Miss Penni and a range of expert guests provide in-depth insights into a range of topics relating to the law as it is practised, and how it interacts with society at large.
The series, which will be updated monthly, already includes episodes discussing non-fatal strangulation, the role of intermediaries in the Courts, and communication skills for lawyers. Topics planned for the months ahead include bad character evidence, joint enterprise, and a range of issues relating to employment law.
The “Law and Guidance” series builds on the success of Women in the Law UK’s “Talking Law” podcast series, which was launched in 2019, in which Miss Penni talks to leaders in the legal profession about their careers and opinions. This new series complements “Talking Law” by discussing laws themselves, and the ways these are applied in practice.
Miss Penni is a barrister-at-law, practising out of Kenworthy’s Chambers in Manchester, and is a Bencher at Gray’s Inn. As well as chairing Women in the Law UK she is also co-vice chair of the Association of Women Barristers.
She said, “Over the past two years I have been privileged to interview some of the most eminent, interesting and entertaining individuals working in and around the legal profession for ‘Talking Law’. I am hugely proud of this as a body of work, and my guests continue to provide an incredible range of insights that will be of value to anyone, male or female, building a career in the law.
“However, I felt there was also a gap in the market for an accessible, engaging podcast relating to the actual application of the law of the land, particularly in relation to the more complex aspects of criminal and employment law in which I practice. ‘Law and Guidance’ will draw on my 20 years’ experience at the Bar, and the insights of a range of special guests, to make these issues accessible to lawyers who might be encountering them for the first time.
“As well as other lawyers, ‘Law and Guidance’ is also aimed at individuals who come into contact with the legal system. The law is complex but it isn’t something that people should be afraid of – and I hope, via this podcast series, to clarify some of the more contentious issues and enable people to engage confidently with the Courts and the wider legal system.”
The “Law and Guidance” podcast series can be found online at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1686745. Guests appearing in the first episodes of the series include: Prof. Penny Cooper, chair of The Advocate’s Gateway and visiting professor at the University of London’s Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research; Catherine Brown, former barrister and founder of Skilful Conversation Limited; Dr Catherine White OBE, forensic physician and clinical director of St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre; and Emma Green, director of cyber security and data protection training at Green CDL.
Other recent guest include the barrister Iain Simkin discussing the case of R v. Reynhard Sinaga, the UK’s most prolific rapist to be successfully convicted. Mr Simkin was lead prosecutor in this case, in which Miss Penni also appeared.
The latest episode features Jolyon Maugham QC, founder of the Good Law Project, who played a leading role in overturning the prorogation of Parliament in 2019. The Good Law Project recently launched legal proceedings against the UK Government relating to a contract for PPE that was awarded by the Department for Health and Social Care in July 2020.
Forthcoming episodes will include a conversation with Prof Felicity Gerry QC, discussing the Shamima Begum case and issues around sexual offences, trial preparation and dealing with the media, and the former victims commissioner Baroness Newlove.
