Author: Miranda

Proof Magazine Roundtable

Proof Magazine Roundtable

I was delighted to participate in a recent roundtable discussion on the future of Legal Aid. The roundtable, which was organised by the Justice Alliance and chaired by Guardian journalist Shiv Malik, will be turned into a feature in a special edition of the Justice Gap‘s Proof Magazine. The issue will focus entirely on legal aid.

Other participants at the roundtable included Richard Burgon MP, the Shadow Justice Secretary; Greg Powell, solicitor and former president of the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association; Deborah Coles, Director of Inquest; Vakas Hussain, barrister and press officer of British Muslim Youth; and Gloria Morrison from campaign group Joint Enterprise Not Guilty By Association (JENGbA).

The discussion was excellent. Everyone who contributed had a professional or campaign interest in legal aid but it was clear that they also cared deeply about access to justice issues on a personal level. It was an real honour to be invited to take part and be in such esteemed company.

The first two issues of Proof Magazine have focused on ‘Justice in a Time of Moral Panic‘ and ‘The Limits of Open Justice‘. The special issue on legal aid will be published shortly. It promises to be a informative and long overdue read.

Paying Tribute to the Bristol Bus Boycott Campaigners

BBB

I was in Bristol recently and visited the Bristol Bus Boycott plaque. I wanted to pay tribute to Paul Stephenson OBE and the other formidable campaigners who forced the Bristol Omnibus Company to reverse its decision not to employ Black or Asian staff.

The boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company, which became known as the ‘Bristol Bus Boycott’, took place in 1963 and lasted four months. It is credited with being the reason Prime Minister Harold Wilson introduced the 1965 Race Relations Act, which outlawed racial discrimination in public places.

I salute Paul Stephenson and all of the Bristol Bus Boycott campaigners and supporters. They helped make Britain a better place for people like me.

Stormont

stormont

I had a brilliant time in Belfast attending the Law Centres Network annual conference, which took place on the 10th and 11th of November 2016. The conference heard from a range of distinguished speakers including Martha Spurrier, Director of Liberty; Les Allamby, the Chief Commissioner for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and Claire Sugden, the Northern Ireland Justice Minister. The highlight of my trip was visiting Stormont Castle for the official dinner. Stormont is the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the place where the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. A stunning building!