Why do we need a criminal justice system?

In our eighth episode, Alma-Constance tells Lucinda that she was shocked to find out that she has reached the age of criminal responsibility at just 10 years old and wanted to find out why we need a criminal justice system and how does it affect children.  Their guest for this episode is the person who calls themselves the Secret Barrister, who is a junior barrister specialising in criminal law, and author and blogger.  The Secret Barrister does not want to reveal their identity in public and  wants to be able explain the law plainly so people can understand how it affects us all. Their words were read out by Alice Acland to keep their voice anonymous.In our previous interviews with Max Hill and Cressida Dick we have heard that very few children get caught up in crime, but of course when they do it can have very serious consequences for them and has a huge impact on their lives and their family. Some people find it confusing that someone accused of a crime should be allowed to have a lawyer defending them. But this is a very important principle that everyone is entitled to a fair hearing especially  when it is the state, the government who is prosecuting them and they have resources to do this, and the consequences can be so serious. You can find more about The Secret Barrister on their blog: https://thesecretbarrister.comThe Secret Barrister’s first book and Sunday Times No.1 Bestseller, “Stories of The Law and How It’s Broken”, was published by Pan Macmillan in March 2018, and was in the top-ten bestseller list for over a year. Their new book, “Fake Law”, was published by Picador in September 2020.Alma-Constance and Lucinda would love to hear from you! Tell us what you think of our episode, and if you've got any questions,  ideas about a topic or someone you'd like us to interview,  please  contact us through the website, kidslaw.info  or on social media  on Twitter @KidsLawInfo, Facebook and Instagram @KidsLawInfo You can also email us: [email protected] subscribe, rate, and share with your friends. See you in the next episode!Keep your questions coming in. Please subscribe, rate, and share the podcast with your friends. See you soon in the next episode!You can follow us @kidslawinfo on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram

Om Podcasten

This is a podcast about children and the laws that affect them as they grow up. Alma-Constance, our host, decided to start the podcast in 2021when she was 10 years old. Living in England, UK, she discovered that when she turned 10 she would have reached the age of criminal responsibility. This is one of the youngest ages of criminalising children in the developed world. That was a pretty shocking discovery for her especially as she realised that she and her peers knew nothing about what this meant in practice and how it can affected children and their families. With the help of Lucinda Acland, a lawyer, and supported by Next 100 Years, they set out to ask some questions of leading experts to help children make sense of it all. There are a lot of laws that affect #children as they grow up and they are confusing and complicated and can affect all aspects of their day-to-day life from #education to online protections or at home, if families break up. It is difficult to keep track and understand the laws and how they impact a child's life. Alma-Constance is determined to help #TeachKidsLaw at a much younger age to help them grow up into adults confident with their legal knowledge. Understanding how the law works and being able to understand complex concepts of #justice and #ruleoflaw will help anyone as they try to navigate their lives. You can email us: [email protected] or reach us on social media channels and our www.kidslaw.info website.