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Better Human Podcast
by Adam Wagner
Can human rights make our societies better? This podcast explores the most important human rights issues of the day through engaging and accessible interviews with high-profile guests and straightforward guides to key concepts and key events. Presented by leading human rights lawyer Adam Wagner.
Episodes
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61 - A free chapter from my new audio book, Emergency State.
I am delighted to share a full chapter from the audio edition of my new book, Emergency State, read by me. If you want to listen to the full audio book, you can download it here:...
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60 - The illiberal and misconceived Bill of Rights Bill
Today I am joined by lawyer and commentator David Allen Green to discuss the governments problematic Bill of Rights Bill, which is intended to replace the Human Rights Act
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59 - Violence against women and how to end it
Barrister Harriet Johnson talks about her important new book on violence against women. For more see www.better humanpodcast.com
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58 - Could Putin be prosecuted?
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world, with daily reports and videos of atrocities. But can international law help? What are the laws of war, war crimes and crimes against humanity? And will anyone ever be prosecuted? I am joined by Tatyana Eatwell, barrister and joint head of the...
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58 - Tolerance, decency, kindliness
Where do human rights come from? In this special musical episode, I speak to Tom Blackmore, grandson of David Maxwell-Fyfe, the Nuremberg Trials prosecutor and founding figure in the modern human rights movement. As Europe again is at war, a timely reminder of how a previous generation saw human...
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57 - The government's plans for judicial review
A bill is going through parliament which will make significant changes to judicial review - the means by which individuals can challenge unlawful decisions by public authorities. What is at stake and what will it mean for rights protection? I am joined by Kamla Adiseshiah and Pragna Patel. For…
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56 - Inheriting the Holocaust
This week, for Holocaust Memorial Day, I speak to the daughter of a Holocaust Survivor and the grandson of a senior Nazi and hear how they have come together to educate about the Holocaust. For more information www.betterhumanpodcast.com
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55 - Joint enterprise
The law of joint enterprise murder has been described as a dragnet because it can criminalise people on the very periphery of a crime. This week I am joined by Jan Cunliffe and John Crilly, two people who's life experiences have led them to campaigning against what they see as an unjust law. For...
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54 - Why the Human Rights Act matters
The government wants to reform the Human Rights Act. In this episode - record before the proposals were announced - Francesca Klug, Kirsty Brimelow QC, Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos and I discuss why our human rights law is important. Thank you to Goldsmiths Law for allowing me to record this live...
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53 - Windrush lives
The Windrush scandal is one of the most important and shocking in recent years, as British citizens were treated as if their citizenship never existed, losing livelihoods and sometimes, as you will hear in this episode, their very humanity. In this episode I speak to Ramya Jaidev co-founder of...
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52 - Christine Burns on trans rights
Christine Burns has been one of the UK’s most successful campaigners for trans rights in recent decades. How did she play such an influential role in persuading governments and the courts to protect the rights of trans people? How did her personal trans journey impact on her advocacy? This...
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51 - Belonging and making trouble: a conversation with Felicity Gerry QC
The Better Human Podcast is back after a break, and who better to return with than the indomitable Felicity Gerry QC. This is a conversation which ranges from joint enterprise to Shamima Begum to the role of the trouble-making lawyer. More details at www.betterhumanpodcast.com
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50 - Serving you up on the internet
We are increasingly used to the internet serving us the things it thinks we need. But what is the risk for our privacy if our data is being harvested and used to 'personalise' the experience? In the final episode of the mini-series we are joined by Dr Elif Kuskonmaz of the University of…
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49 - Are internet algorithms a problem for human rights?
This week we speak to Lorna Woods, Professor of Internet Law at Essex University, about how algorithms on the internet are 'personalising' the content we see and how this impacts on the rights to privacy and freedom of expression. This podcast is part of a mini-series co-hosted with Susie Alegre,...
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48 - Albie Sachs on fighting for freedom and human rights
Albie Sachs is one of the world's most important living human rights jurists and freedom fighter. This fascinating interview between Adam Wagner and Albie Sachs was organised by JW3 supported by the Genesis Philanthropy Fund and is posted here with permission and thanks. Show notes at...
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47 - Are algorithms making us less creative?
Can a computer judge a creative writing competition? Do automatically curated newsfeeds help or hinder free expression? How does creativity interact with rights protections? A fascinating and timely discussion with Brendan de Caires of Pen Canada, hosted by barristers Adam Wagner and Susie…
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46 - Shamima Begum: racism, citizenship and the Supreme Court
Shamima Begum left for Syria to join ISIS when she was a child. Now, aged 21, the Supreme Court has confirmed she cannot return to appeal against the Home Secretary's decision to deprive her of her citizenship. Her case is complex and difficult, as is clear from this fascinating discussion with...
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45 - The difficult case of vaccine passports
In the near future people will need proof of a COVID-19 vaccination before entering certain countries. Even more controversially, some countries are already preventing people accessing everyday services without it. To examine the ethical and human rights implications I am joined by Judith Bueno…
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44 - Are we truly free to express our opinions?
This podcast is part of a mini-series co-hosted with Susie Alegre, international human rights barrister, Associate at Doughty Street Chambers and Research Fellow at the University of Roehampton This week we discuss freedom of opinion and how it interacts with freedom of speech. Our guest is…
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43 - Political propaganda, social media and human rights
This week's guest is the “Maven of Persuasion”, Dr Emma L Briant, Associate Researcher at Bard College with an extensive background as a professor in information operations, propaganda and human rights. Dr Briant is one of the key researchers who uncovered the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2018....
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42 - The 'value' of older people's lives
Lord Sumption has courted controversy by claiming that not all lives are of "equal value". In this timely episode Adam Wagner discusses the importance of older people's rights with Ken Bluestone, Head of policy and influencing at Age International and Geraldine van Buren, Professor of…
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41 - Social media disinformation in the age of Covid
This week's guest is Meetali Jain, an international human rights lawyer and Legal Director at Avaaz. We discuss what disinformation is, how it spreads and whether it can be stopped. This podcast is the first in a mini-series co-hosted with Susie Alegre, international human rights barrister,...
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40 - Tier 4 and Christmas Linked Households regulations explained
This is the latest in my attempts to explain how the Covid-19 regulations work in England. I focus on Christmas Linked Households gatherings which are permitted in Tiers 1, 2 and 3 but not 4. In the second half I am joined by Dr Xand van Tulleken who discusses how to keep as safe as possible over...
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39 - The Leicester garment factory scandal
The Covid-19 pandemic helped expose inhumane working practices at garment factories in Leicester, including inhuman conditions and low pay. What can we learn about the human rights duties of businesses from this sorry saga? I am joined by Krishnendu Mukherjee, barrister and Indian advocate. Show...
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38 - Explaining the new lockdown regulations
On 5 November, England is entering its second lockdown. In this video, I explain the complex new rules and how you can avoid getting a fine of up to £10,000 for breaching them. I have also put this up as a video podcast where you can follow along with the text of the regulations - see...
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37 - The plan to give soldiers immunity from prosecution for war crimes
There is a bill going through the United Kingdom Parliament which will make it harder to prosecute soldiers for war crimes. Is it justified? How will it impact on human rights? And why now? I am joined by Sonya Sceats, Chief Executive of Freedom From Torture and David Allen Green, solicitor and...
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36 - Explaining the Covid-19 self-isolation law
From Monday 28 September anyone in England who breaches Covid-19 self-isolation rules is subject to fines of up to £10,000 and a potential criminal charge. The rules are complex, have been passed into law with no Parliamentary scrutiny and join an ever-growing, and ever-more-complicated, set of...
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35 - Fifty years of law centres making human rights a reality
Human rights can be illusory if you can't afford to claim them. For 50 years, law centres have been making human rights a reality and helping people experiencing crises to access a lawyer. In this episode, I am joined by Peter Kandler, founder of the North Kensington Law Centre, Julie Bishop,...
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34 - Why the rule of law matters
The government has admitted that a new Brexit bill will break international law. Its chief lawyer has resigned. Why does this matter and what, exactly, is the rule of law? I am joined by David Allen Green, lawyer and writer. You can see show notes at www.betterhumanpodcast.com
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33 - The Covid-19 lockdown and the law (part 5)
I am delighted to be joined again by lawyer and writer David Allen Green to discuss six months of lockdown laws, passed with almost no parliamentary scrutiny and imposing the most stringent restrictions on human rights since the Second World War. Can these be justified by even the most extreme...
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32 - What is happening to the Uyghur Muslims in China?
Right now, there is widespread and systematic persecution of the over a million Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim people in Xinjiang, China, including forced 're-eduction' in concentration camps. This is surely the kind of state behaviour which the post-war human rights system was designed to…
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31 - Business and human rights (Part 2/2)
What responsibilities do businesses have to protect human rights during the COVID-19 crisis? In the second part of this episode I am joined again by barrister Krishnendu Mukherji to discuss the Leicester garment industry revelations and how companies can prevent human misery in their supply…
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30 - Business and human rights (Part 1/2)
How can businesses help protect human rights? What is modern slavery? Is the law tough enough on companies when human rights abuses take place in their supply chain? This week I am joined by Krishnendu Mukherjee of Doughty Street Chambers and Rae Lindsay from Clifford Chance. This episode was...
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29 - Racial injustice after George Floyd
In this episode I am joined by Katrina Ffrench, CEO of StopWatch and Matthew Ryder QC, a barrister at Matrix Chambers and formerly London's Deputy Mayor. We discuss why Black, Asian and minority ethnic people are 54% more likely to be fined by the police under Coronavirus powers, how this fits…
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28 - Women, sexual violence and the police
The police handling of sexual violence is one of the most complex and difficult issues in our society today. Why are rape conviction rates so low? Are the police doing enough to investigate? And how can human rights laws help? This week I’m joined by Harriet Johnson, a barrister at Doughty Street...
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27 - The Covid-19 lockdown and the law (Part 4)
Can people who don’t live with each other have sex? What is “overnight”? And many other questions. I am joined again by David Allen Green as we take a detailed look at the newly updated lockdown regulations. As always, please make sure to follow the government’s guidance. You can find the two...
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26 - The people who volunteer to go to prison
Every year, in every kind of setting where people are detained, thousands of visits take place to monitor for human rights violations. Those visits, to prisons, police cells, mental health hospitals, are by volunteers. In this episode I talk to four key players in the "National Preventative...
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25 - The Covid-19 lockdown and the law (Part 3)
I am delighted to be joined again by lawyer and legal commentator David Allen Green to discuss the latest lockdown legal developments and what a public inquiry into the Covid-19 outbreak might look like. We had a spirited and sometimes critical conversation about the law but nothing is intended…
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24 - The shield and the sword
Human rights are tools which protect everyone from beaches of aspects of their essential humanity. They are all the more important in times of crisis such as in the present day. In this talk I start with the five years in 1946-51 which created the modern human rights movement and show how the...
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23 - The hostile environment and Covid-19
What is happening to migrants during the Covid-19 crisis? This conversation with Chai Patel from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants was both enlightening and worrying. The 'hostile environment' policy pre-existed Covid-19 but it made it harder to control the spread of the virus…
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22 - Coronavirus and human rights 28 days later
A month after our first coronavirus and human rights special, I am delighted to be joined again by barristers Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Nichola Higgins and academics Aoife Nolan and Judith Bueno De Mesquita. We have a wide-ranging discussion on the International dimension of the crisis, the...
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21 - Coronavirus tech, contact tracing apps and the risks of Zoom Life
I am joined again by barrister Susie Alegre to discuss the many human rights implications of social distancing, including whether contact tracing apps breach the right to privacy, the risks of moving even more of our lives online and how to manage fake virus news online. Show notes at...
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20 - The untold story of the Covid-19 digital courts revolution
One of the largely untold stories of the Covid-19 crisis is that many courts in the UK have for the first time ‘gone online’. This is for good reasons - the justice system must continue even if we mostly cannot physically meet in court rooms. But there are huge risks to fair trials and open…
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19 - The Covid-19 lockdown and the law (Part 2)
The response to Covid-19 is the key human rights issue in the world right now as states move to enforce ‘lockdowns’ of billions of people. In the UK the government has issued guidance on social distancing and emergency regulations which give the police extensive new powers over people's everyday...
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18 - The Covid-19 lockdown and the law (Part 1)
The response to Covid-19 is the key human rights issue in the world at the moment as states move to enforce ‘lockdowns’ of billions of people. In the UK the government has issued guidance on social distancing and emergency regulations which give the police extensive new powers over people's...
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17 - Coronavirus and human rights special (part 2/2)
This week the UK parliament will debate the Coronavirus Bill, the most sweeping set of emergency powers since the Second World War. The bill will bring huge changes to mental health law, the entitlement to social care, burial and coronial laws, police powers... and more. The 329-page law will be...
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16 - Coronavirus and human rights special (Part 1/2)
No recent issue has raised so many human rights issues in such a short space of time as the coronavirus pandemic. How can governments protect the right to life without unnecessarily undermining freedoms? What rights do we have in quarantine? Can good governance survive such an acute crisis? I am...
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15 - Liberalism in the age of Coronavirus
Can our liberal values survive the pressure of a global pandemic? This week I interview Adam Gopnik, a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine and author of a new book on liberalism, A Thousand Small Sanities. We didn't intend to talk about Coronavirus but as we met last week the world was...
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14 - Religion, belief and human rights
Gay cake and free speech, Orthodox trans fathers, religious symbols in public places... what happens when fundamental beliefs conflict with other peoples' human rights? I find issues over religion and belief to be fascinating examples of how human rights laws balance almost impossibly difficult...
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13 - The European Convention on Human Rights is working
As the government’s plan to “update” human rights laws gather pace, and the calls to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) re-emerge from the Brexit fog, this episode explores the too little known story of how the ECHR helps keep illiberalism at bay throughout Europe. I talk to...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Can human rights make our societies better? This podcast explores the most important human rights issues of the day through engaging and accessible interviews with high-profile guests and straightforward guides to key concepts and key events. Presented by leading human rights lawyer Adam Wagner.
HOSTED BY
Adam Wagner
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Better Human Podcast have?
Better Human Podcast currently has 63 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Better Human Podcast about?
Can human rights make our societies better? This podcast explores the most important human rights issues of the day through engaging and accessible interviews with high-profile guests and straightforward guides to key concepts and key events. Presented by leading human rights lawyer Adam Wagner.
How often does Better Human Podcast release new episodes?
Better Human Podcast has 63 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Better Human Podcast?
You can listen to Better Human Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Better Human Podcast?
Better Human Podcast is created and hosted by Adam Wagner.
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