Mary Queen of Scots, Rape prosecutions, Widows and food

Available for over a year

We discuss a series of reports this week that might undermine confidence in the way the criminal justice system handles rape cases: from reports that rape prosecutors have been urged to abandon ‘weaker’ cases to figures that show less than a third of prosecutions brought against young men result in a conviction and concerns that police have unfettered access to personal data and records from potential rape victims. Investigative journalist, Alexandra Topping and criminal defence barrister, Laurie-Anne Power discuss what is happening. Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I never met, but an imagined meeting has captivated artists, dramatists and film-makers alike. We discuss how we reinvent our queens for the modern age with the historians Kate Williams and Tracy Borman. And, Emily Thomas tells us about the cultural attitudes which led to high caste Hindu widows from West Bengal being denied the tastiest food. And we hear from food Historian Chitrita Bannergee about watching her grandmother be banned from family mealtimes.