Full Comment

What happens when someone is named, discussed or identified online before they have even been charged with a criminal offence?In the opening episode of Season 3 of Full Comment, Danielle Reece-Greenhalgh and Edward Grange of Corker Binning are joined by Tom Rudkin, Partner and Head of Reputation Management at Farrer & Co, to explore the complex relationship between criminal investigations, privacy rights, media reporting and reputation.The discussion looks at what can be done when a journalist intends to identify someone who is under investigation, the legal protections available before charge, and when an injunction may be necessary.The episode also considers a fundamental tension in modern criminal cases: the legal process contains safeguards, but public opinion and online commentary rarely wait for them.Full Comment is the podcast from the Corker Binning crime team, discussing criminal law, investigations and the issues surrounding some of the most complex cases.

Most people know a convicted defendant can appeal a sentence.Far fewer realise that, in certain cases, the prosecution can also ask for a sentence to be increased.This episode explains how the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) Scheme operates, why the threshold is deliberately high, and why Parliament has chosen to expand the rights of victimsfrom 29 June 2026. It also explores a broader question. Is the criminal justice system becoming increasingly willing to reopen decisions that were once regarded as final?

Recent cases in England and Scotland have forced the criminal courts to confront a painful question: when a victim of domestic abuse takes their own life, can the abuser be held criminally responsible for the death? Edward Grange and Danielle Reece-Greenhalgh examine the acquittals in the English cases of Ryan Wellings and Christopher Trybus, the Scottish culpable homicide conviction of Lee Milne, and the wider challenge of proving causation where coercive control, mental health and autonomy collide.

In this episode of Full Comment, Danielle Reece-Greenhalgh and Edward Grange travel to Barcelona for the European Criminal Bar Association Spring Conference and use the opportunity to speak to European criminal lawyers about issues affecting their criminal justice systems and why being a member of an association of lawyers such as the ECBA can have benefits beyond professional networking. Whose inspiration in becoming a lawyer was Ally McBeal and who are better: French or English judges?

In this episode, Edward Grange and Danielle Reece-Greenhalgh discuss when conduct in grassroots football crosses the line into criminal behaviour. Drawing on Ed’s personal experience as a referee, they discuss and reflect on the realities of officiating from the National League downwards, where high emotions, differing interpretations of the rules, and the influence of social media can quickly escalate situations. They explore where the legal thresholds lie, from verbal abuse and physical contact through to sustained targeting of referees, and what this can mean in practice when matters move beyond the pitch and into the criminal sphere, set against FA data on the scale of abuse faced by officials.   ** Disclaimer** This episode contains some contextual strong language reflective of the subject matter and first-hand accounts.