Lucy Letby: Will She Waive Privilege as UK Prosecutors Widen the Net?

Is the Lucy Letby case just the beginning? As police escalate their investigation into the National Health Service (NHS) leadership, three former senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. The CPS is also reviewing new allegations against Letby herself, alongside claims of corporate failings that could amount to corporate manslaughter. As police investigate, questions are mounting about accountability at the highest levels of the health system and beyond.    Focusing on one of the most high-profile legal cases in recent memory to broader political issues in Britain from the legality of Israel and US military action under international law, to the complexities of legal privilege in criminal appeals, this conversation also marks the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings, examining how crises reshape laws on prisons and sentencing, freedom of expression, and crime and punishment.   Double Jeopardy returns with Ken Macdonald KC and Tim Owen KC to unpack the deeper legal and political implications behind the headlines offering expert legal commentary that connects current events with long-term challenges in UK politics, UK law, and the ongoing criminal justice crisis.   You can find the blog post from The Jolly Contrarian titled Lucy Letby: waiver of privilege?  Here.   If you'd like to listen through all our episodes about Lucy Letby, you can find them here:   Lucy Letby’s Victims Strike Back: Identification Evidence, Miscarriages of Justice and Legal System Insights into How UK Juries Reach their Verdicts  Release Date: March, 26, 2025 Lucy Letby: The Experts Break Cover Release Date: February, 12, 2025 Lucy Letby, Fair Trials, and a Conservative Path to Justice  Release Date: November, 13, 2024 ⁠Lucy Letby Part 2: The Response  Release Date: August, 27, 2024 Lucy Letby The Shadow of a Doubt? Release Date: August, 16, 2024 --- Covering the critical intersections of law and politics in the UK with expert commentary on high-profile legal cases, political controversies, prisons and sentencing, human rights law, current political events and the shifting landscape of justice and democracy. With in-depth discussions and influential guests, Double Jeopardy is the podcast that uncovers the forces shaping Britain’s legal and political future.   What happens when law and politics collide? How do politics shape the law - and when does the law push back? What happens when judicial independence is tested, human rights come under attack, or freedom of expression is challenged? And who really holds power in Britain’s legal and political system?   Get answers to questions like these weekly on Wednesdays.   Double Jeopardy is presented by Ken Macdonald KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions, and Tim Owen KC, as they break down the legal and political issues in Britain. From high-profile legal cases to the evolving state of British democracy, Double Jeopardy offers expert legal commentary on the most pressing topics in UK law, politics, and human rights.   Ken Macdonald KC served as Director of Public Prosecutions from 2003-2008, shaping modern prosecutorial policy and advocating for the rule of law. He is a former Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, a crossbench member of the House of Lords, and a leading writer, commentator and broadcaster on politics and the rule of law.   Tim Owen KC has been involved in many of the most significant public, criminal and human rights law cases over the past four decades.    Both bring unparalleled experience from the frontline of Britain's legal and political landscape.   If you like The Rest Is Politics, Talking Politics, Law Pod UK and Today in Focus, you’ll love Double Jeopardy.