How should art be interpreted in the courtroom? Is it fair for an artist to have their art be scrutinised and analysed within a judicial setting? In this episode of Ratio, Dr Luke McDonagh engages in a two-part conversation with Dr Abenaa Owusu-Bempah to analyse how rap lyrics are used in criminal trials and how this fails to meet some of the basic evidentiary standards. Beyond the theoretical issues at play, the use of artistic expression for prosecutorial purposes may illustrate deeper, systemic issues within the criminal justice system and its relationship to the communities that produce this art.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik with music by Mustafa Tauseef .
Speakers: Luke McDonagh and Abenaa Owusu-Bempah
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
Dr Luke McDonagh sits down with LSE alum, barrister and novelist Tom Gaisford for an illuminating conversation on Tom's career, immigration and asylum law and how his years of working as a lawyer have come to inform the writing of his new book: Sanctuary. What are the differences between working as a solicitor and transitioning into a career as a barrister? What is it about immigration and asylum law in particular that prompted Tom to write his new book? This episode discusses these questions and many more.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Luke McDonagh and Tom Gaisford
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
In what ways will AI impact the legal profession? How will this impact correspond to the need to change the way future lawyers are educated while at Law School? If one accepts that AI is transformative, how transformative is it? In our twentieth episode the Dean of LSE Law School, Professor David Kershaw, interviews author and CEO of FjordStream Advisors, Bjarne Tellmann to tackle the above questions. Bjarne has amassed an impressive resume serving as a General Counsel for some of the largest corporations. David and Bjarne analyse how AI is used to drive efficiency and how this efficiency-driven model will impact corporate structures and, in particular, their legal departments. If AI is here to stay, how should we prepare?
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: David Kershaw and Bjarne Tellmann
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
This episode explores the role of patent law in our interconnected world. Professor Susan Marks and Dr Siva Thambisetty discuss Siva's work ranging from taking part in treaty negotiations for The BBNJ Agreement to her efforts during the COVID-19 Pandemic to help secure greater access to vaccines which would otherwise be hindered through patent law. The final part of this episode features Siva's critique of the 'routinised use of equity' as a fallback mechanism during treaty negotiations and how the reliance on 'equity' in this context may not actually do much to procure equitable outcomes.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Susan Marks and Siva Thambisetty
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
How does the law shape our culture? Is education a neutral endeavour? Or, can an analysis of how one learns the law uncover the world-making nature of legal education? In this episode of Ratio, Professor Susan Marks asks these questions to Dr Jacco Bomhoff who provides an insightful analysis of the German legal system. The episode also explores Jacco's work on the conflict of laws. Feel free to have a look at some of the scholarship discussed in this episode using the links below.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-2230.12879
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1535685X.2023.2259670
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09646639221092962
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4063283
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Susan Marks and Jacco Bomhoff
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
Professor Susan Marks sits down with Dr Roxana Willis for an insightful analysis on the shortcomings of hate crime laws. The inability of hate crime to protect victims of racist violence stems in part from an ineffectual understanding of racism in society more broadly. Instead of tackling the structural roots of racism, it seems that hate crime laws are preoccupied with racism in its more blatant forms. Roxana discusses why this is the case, and puts forth the abolitionist critique of the criminal law. The second part of this episode features a wider analysis from Roxana on how the law interacts with structural inequalities as examined in her book A Precarious Life.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Susan Marks and Roxana Willis.
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
As the war Ukraine continues amidst a backdrop of recent diplomatic manoeuvres, how does international law guide state action? In this episode of Ratio, Professor Floris de Witte poses this question to Dr Lora Izvorova. Lora analyses the interaction between domestic politics and international law and highlights a perhaps uncomfortable truth that international law can be susceptible to wide interpretation and, in turn, political capture. However, within this malleability may lie the path towards cooperation and an understanding of shared values that all state's recognise as paramount for global stability.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Floris de Witte and Lora Izvorova
Website: https://lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
When courts step in to resolve disputes between private parties, what impact do these decisions have on managing market distribution and economic inequality? Dr Joseph Spooner argues that the law has a "constitutive role" that directly impacts the way markets function. In this episode, Dr Spooner discusses his findings and analysis from his 2024 article "Contract Law: When the Poor Pay More" with Professor Floris de Witte. Dr Spooner makes the case that private law decisions are, by their nature, part of a "distributive realm," which requires critical engagement with decisions taken by courts. Although law and politics operate differently, the impact that each have on the other may demand a more rigorous analysis of the distributive outcomes of judicial decisions.
Disclaimer: In this episode mention is made of the Johnson v Firstrand England and Wales Court of Appeal decision and the possibility of it being appealed to the Supreme Court. Since the time of recording, the Supreme Court has accepted the appeal and arguments are due to be heard in early April.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Floris de Witte and Joseph Spooner
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
If one examines the history of financial crises whether in the late 90s in Asia or the global financial crisis of 07-08 you might wonder what role - if any - government agencies or intergovernmental agencies can play in alleviating the possibilities of economic crash. In this episode, Professor Floris de Witte engages with the rich work of Professor Niamh Moloney to examine how capital market regulation works in the European Union. Can we regulate our way out of financial crisis? Professor Moloney shares some skepticism and offers critical insight into how capital market regulation can look like in the European Union.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Floris de Witte and Niamh Moloney
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
In this episode of Ratio, Professor Floris de Witte interviews Dr Marie Petersmann and Dr Dimitri Vandermeerssche on the work they have done curating their lecture series, conference and podcast: "Underworlds – Sites and Struggles of Global Dis/Ordering." In their conversation with Floris, Marie and Dimitri discuss the ways in which conceptions of authority and order shape how international law operates in upholding certain practices while inhibiting the imagination of novel ways of engaging with our planet, its natural resources, and the politics that dot the international system.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Floris de Witte, Marie Petersmann, and Dimitri Vandermeerssche
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
Listen to the Underworld series here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/underworlds
In episode 12, Professor Floris de Witte and Dr Jan Zglinski discuss the regulation of sport through European Union law. Various points of contention may arise between sports governing bodies and the legal structures they interact with. While sports teams are interested in not being at a competitive disadvantage with other teams, the European Court of Justice has to ensure that the rules of sport are not in contravention of Union law principles. How is this balance struck? Listen to find out!
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Floris de Witte and Jan Zglinski
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
In May 2024, the Infected Blood Inquiry report was published (accessible here: https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/reports/inquiry-report). The report detailed the systemic issues that led to the infected blood scandal, which saw the deaths of over 3000 people who received infected blood whilst undergoing different medical treatments. Hannah Gibbs, an assistant professor at the LSE, sat down with Professor Nicola Lacey to discuss the Infected Blood Inquiry. Hannah represented 300 core participants in the Inquiry and in this episode articulated what she learned about the nature of public inquiries more generally. What role do public inquiries play within the legal system? Do they provide sufficient vindication for the victims of tragedies like the infected blood scandal? Nicola Lacey and Hannah Gibbs consider these questions and much more.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Nicola Lacey and Hannah Gibbs
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
Is there a right to security in the criminal law? Professor Peter Ramsay's 2012 book The Insecurity State Vulnerable Autonomy and the Right to Security in the Criminal Law, explained how such a right is apparent when one examines the different instruments employed by the state to guarantee precautionary justice. In this episode of Ratio, Professor Nicola Lacey speaks with Peter to unpack the implications that a right to security presents. What do precautionary laws, i.e., laws that seek to reassure one's aversion from another's risky behaviour towards them, tell us about the nature of criminalisation? Nicola and Peter discuss this and much more.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
How should judges combat accusations of the politicisation of their courts? What happens when courts fall victim to political capture? Professor Nicola Lacey and Professor Susanne Baer discuss the nature of constitutionalism and the way in which courts around the world are engaged in conversation with one another to inform the way justice is globally conceived. The episode delves into Professor Baer’s rich history of legal practice as a Justice in the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany and how this experience alongside her extensive academic background informs her conceptions on democratic constitutionalism.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Nicola Lacey and Susanne Baer
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
In honour of the years of academic service to the LSE, this episode of Ratio examines some of the contribution of Professor Julia Black in enriching the LSE and academia at large. In conversation with Julia, Professor Niamh Moloney also discusses the theoretical framework introduced by Julia in her book Rules and Regulators, which helped to outline how power is distributed in society through rules and regulations.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Niamh Moloney and Julia Black
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
In this episode of Ratio, Dr Sarah Trotter has a conversation with the LSE's President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Larry Kramer. Amongst the many interesting topics discussed, this episode delves into the importance of interdisciplinary work as a way to produce meaningful scholarship. Professor Kramer also offers his vision for the LSE as he begins his position of President and Vice Chancellor.
Does the environment possess rights? Perhaps it does, but according to Dr Marie Petersmann, such a claim reinforces a conception of rights centred on the human experience. In this episode of Ratio, Professor Gerry Simpson explores this argument put forth by Dr Petersmann. In doing so, we are asked to confront the shortcoming s that arise when one asserts that 'nature' has rights. Is environmental law undermined by our current framework of rights that extolls the human rather than -- and perhaps at the expense of -- the environment?
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Gerry Simpson and Marie Petersmann
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
What is terrorism, and can we legislate against it? In episode 5 of the Ratio podcast, Professor Gerry Simpson speaks to Professor Conor Gearty KC on his 2024 book "Homeland Insecurity: The Rise and Rise of Global Anti-Terrorism Law." Professor Gearty challenges us to grapple with how 'terrorism' is politicised as a label. When did states begin to legislate against terrorism? What use - if any - does the 'terrorism' label serve in creating legislation to prevent political violence? This episode explores the racialised employment of terrorism in our contemporary world, and how anti-terrorism laws have impacted our perception of international conflict.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Gerry Simpson and Conor Gearty
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw; X: @LSERatio
Is the contemporary form of constitutionalism fit for purpose to address the social, political, and economic discontents around the world? What is the difference between a constitution and constitutionalism? In this episode Professor Gerry Simpson and Professor Martin Loughlin analyse the nature of constitutionalism today. Given the rise of populism in recent years, can constitutional principles be relied upon to meet the demands of the electorate? Martin Loughlin provides a fascinating insight into the changing meaning of constitutionalism from its early iteration in the 18th and 19th centuries to practices of constitutionalism in the post-1989 world.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Gerry Simpson and Martin Loughlin
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw
The impact of tax policies is complex, but how do taxes influence perceptions of the very rich in society? How do the highest earners respond to tax policies? By analysing UK tax records and the way the wealthy and top earners in the UK respond to tax policies, Professor Gerry Simpson sits down with Dr Andy Summers in this episode of Ratio to provide a quantitative and qualitative assessment of recent tax policies. By exploring the relationship between tax and wealth inequality, Dr Summers demystifies some of the characteristics of the richest members of society. In doing so, this episode explores the possibilities and limitations of utilising tax to rectify certain inequalities.
This episode was produced by Mohid Malik.
Speakers: Gerry Simpson and Andy Summers
Website: https://www.lse.ac.uk/law
Instagram: @lselaw