Today I am talking to John Hirst, author of the Jailhouse Lawyer’s blog. John has spent 35 of his 57 years in prison.
John was sent to prison for life after being convicted of the manslaughter of his landlady, in 1979. “He received a tariff of 15 years, but served a total of 25 before being released in October last year. He believes his activities as a litigant against the Prison Service and Home Office are the main reason he had to serve the extra years. John proved to be the most prolific prisoner litigant of modern times – and, he says, like Perry Mason and Rumpole of the Bailey, he never lost a case against the Prison Service.” [Guardian article – below]
Listen to Podcast 64: With John Hirst – author of Jailhouse Lawyer’s blog.
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Guardian article: The Devilish Advocate
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Follow up 7th July
As a follow up to Podcast 64 with John Hirst, I talk to Carl Gardner, author of the Head of Legal blog, barrister, former government lawyer and commentator on Human Rights Law, about the case of Hirst v United Kingdom No (2) heard at the ECHR in 2005.
Listen to Podcast 65: Carl Gardner on the ECHR case, Hirst v United Kingdom No 2.
John Hirst has published a useful note of the government approach
Charon QC 