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| THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE Demons and the Law with Naomi Ryan on Saturday the 1st November 2025 at 3:30 pm The Devil is a figure of fascination. Over the centuries, he has been depicted as a tempting snake, a malicious goat, a tragic fallen angel, a terrifying, cloven footed beast and even a squeaky voiced, saucy South Park character. He has captured the attention of writers, poets, folklorists, historians, philosophers and most obviously, the Catholic Church. But few people know the role that he has played in shaping the law. Satan has played central roles in a whole array of cases. If the allegations are to be believed, Lucifer and his impish minions have led women to commit acts of witchcraft, often involving kissing various orifices. They have possessed people’s minds and sent messages through rock music, tricking them into committing horrible crimes. A demon has even taken physical form to torment and abuse a BBC journalist. Naomi Ryan Naomi Ryan is a criminal barrister and lover of all things macabre. After qualifying with a Masters in Law from St Catherine’s College, Oxford, she taught criminal law to undergraduates at St Hilda’s College Oxford and University College London before embarking on her career as a criminal barrister, where she both prosecuted and defended. She now works as an advisory lawyer on criminal matters within the Civil Service and writes and delivers talks about the darker side of legal history. She regrets that she has yet to cross-examine Satan or any of his minions. |
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