Magistrates should be representatives of the people. But magistracy has always been disproportionately white & middle class. We need excellent magistrates of all kinds but should make more effort to recruit working class & ethnic minority people www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

Magistrates should be representatives of the people. But magistracy has always been disproportionately white & middle class. We need excellent magistrates of all kinds but should make more effort to recruit working class & ethnic minority people www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

Lay magistrates are essential to the smooth running of our courts. Whether you approve of lay magistrates, its clear we need more sitting now. But is the recruitment system fit for purpose? It still seems biased in favour of white, middle class candidates www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

Out of court resolutions are effective, efficient & often preferred by victims. But how much are police forces using them? 🔗📊 Check our newly updated 2025 crime resolution tracker: www.transformjustice.org.uk/crime-resolu...

We have a system of justice which is secretive, known to be flawed and unfair, and week-by-week lands very vulnerable people with harsh criminal convictions And we have a government which is content for that to keep happening www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/t...

On the day gov stats show delays increasing in the mags' courts our team are going through findings of our volunteers who observed mags' courts in London this year. Their reflections show why justice is slow & why the process is often not very just.

On the day gov stats show delays increasing in the mags' courts our team are going through findings of our volunteers who observed mags' courts in London this year. Their reflections show why justice is slow & why the process is often not very just.

The illegal prosecution of c 59,000 people for not having the right ticket/fare evasion is the biggest (in terms of numbers) British miscarriage of justice ever. All those illegally convicted - railway companies wrongly used single justice procedure court process www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09...

The illegal prosecution of c 59,000 people for not having the right ticket/fare evasion is the biggest (in terms of numbers) British miscarriage of justice ever. All those illegally convicted - railway companies wrongly used single justice procedure court process www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09...

⚠️ Inefficiency around pre-sentence reports are a big cause of delays in the mags’ courts. Almost 1 in 6 of the delays or adjournments observed by courtwatchers throughout the project were so that pre-sentence reports could be written. 🧵[1/6]

Excellent (as ever) sleuthing by Penelope on one of the massive holes in available data in the criminal justice system — in this case yet another on the ‘single justice procedure’, the process for prosecuting low-level offences based on paper submissions, with no court hearing.

👁️‍🗨️“CourtWatch has given me a lot to think about.” One month on from the end of the project, our volunteer courtwatchers have been reflecting about what they learned from their courtwatching experiences; the good and the bad, and what they might do differently going forward. #CourtWatchLondon

A fantastic article by @penelopegibbs.bsky.social, building on the work of @kirkkorner.bsky.social Highlights additional problems with the Single Justice Procedure (#SJP), this time related to the #HMCTS Libra case management system And the system failing #openjustice principles. #UKlegal

💡Transform Justice Director @penelopegibbs.bsky.social went on a mission to uncover the mysterious single justice procedure case files hidden from public view. Read more in our latest Insight ⬇️ www.transformjustice.org.uk/news-insight...

How do we navigate questions of mental illness, ‘insanity’ and culpability in our justice system? Bradley Hillier and Rhona Friedman discuss on the latest episode of the Transform Justice Podcast. 🎧Listen now: pod.fo/e/319ef0 #CriminalJustice #MentalHealth #TransformJusticePodcast

⚠️Faulty court technology is preventing the public from seeing crucial evidence. Across dozens of hearings, courtwatchers saw faulty video screen links to be a source of delays and found they were unable to see the evidence originally intended to be viewed by the entire courtroom. 🧵[1/6]

🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 Should someone with schizophrenia stand trial? In our 50th episode (🤯) Dr Bradley Hillier and Rhona Friedman of Commons Law discuss how defendants with serious mental health conditions are treated in the justice system. 🎧Listen now: pod.fo/e/319ef0

Where a defendant should sit during a hearing is a contentious topic. The controversial dock has long been the default option for defendants in England and Wales. But, as then Hackney Central MP Baron Clinton Davis said in the House of Commons all the way back in 1972: ⬇️ 🧵[1/8]

It sounds wild but you could be prosecuted & convicted in England & Wales without a trained lawyer being involved. This was uncovered by the Office for Rail & Road when investigating prosecution of people for not having the right rail ticket www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

It sounds wild but you could be prosecuted & convicted in England & Wales without a trained lawyer being involved. This was uncovered by the Office for Rail & Road when investigating prosecution of people for not having the right rail ticket www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

The single justice procedure has been used extensively to prosecute Covid rulebreakers - but was this really a fair way of dealing with the issue? @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social discusses in the latest episode of the Transform Justice Podcast ⬇️ 🔗🎧Catch up on the full episode now: pod.fo/e/30221c

"The real mystery is why, during a period of mass migration, the number of foreign prisoners hasn't risen by more." Good piece by @tomcalver.bsky.social (IMO bottom line is that migration/nationality status has little correlation, +be or -ve, with criminality). www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

To what degree should someone’s mental health be taken into consideration by the law? One courtwatcher observed a case where a man was charged with failure to stop and remain at a road traffic accident & failure to supply a breath sample, as he drove to the Thames intending to end his life. 🧵[1/8]

Under the single justice procedure, parents can be prosecuted for the non-attendance of their children at school. In fact, in 2024, there were over 20,000 parents convicted for this offence - which is a strict liability offence, meaning there are very few valid excuses to avoid prosecution.

The latest episode of the Transform Justice Podcast explores the ins and outs and failings of the controversial single justice procedure. Here @penelopegibbs.bsky.social discusses one particularly shocking case ⬇️ 🎧🔗Catch up on the full episode now: pod.fo/e/30221c

In a fair and compassionate justice system, intent and circumstance should always be considered. We believe the single justice procedure needs urgent and radical reform. 🔗Read our full report on the single justice procedure here: www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/... #SingleJusticeProcedure

For justice to be truly open, our courthouses must be accessible. We ask each courtwatcher to fill out our open justice form once per court visit (not per hearing) which includes a question on accessibility. As you can see, the results are largely positive! 🧵[1/4]

The POA chief is far more progressive than I expected www.spectator.co.uk/article/head...

Speed has replaced just decision making with the convey belt Single Justice Procedure (SJP) - reform is needed now. On this Transform Justice podcast, our Vice Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC discusses how the SJP works and what it means for people facing charges. Listen now ⬇️ lnkd.in/e4N4ADKm

Single justice procedure prosecutions make up the majority of all prosecutions in the magistrates’ courts. In our new report, we detail how the SJP works, its failings and how we could improve this impersonal ‘conveyor-belt’ process. 🔗Read the report here: transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

What offences are most commonly dealt with through the single justice procedure? 🔗Get into the nuts and bolts of this conveyor-belt justice process, as well as some of the human stories (uncovered by @kirkkorner.bsky.social) - read our latest report now: transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

16% of the UK population was born overseas (21/22 census) 12% of UK prisoners were born overseas Therefore people born overseas are less likely to be in jail than people born in the UK. That should be the headline.

🎧Have you listened to our latest podcast episode yet? @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social joins @penelopegibbs.bsky.social & @robroballen.bsky.social to explore the single justice procedure and what it means for the vulnerable people who often fall victim of its impersonal nature. 🔗➡️ pod.fo/e/30221c

The very first podcast @penelopegibbs.bsky.social and I did more than 3 years ago was on the conveyor belt of the single justice procedure. Have a listen to the latest episode to find out what if anything has changed about it since then.

There is light at the end of the tunnel on the single justice procedure, but is there enough?

⚙️ The Single Justice Procedure was meant to speed up justice. But has it come at the cost of fairness? Our latest report explores how a quiet courtroom revolution may be undermining defendants' rights. Read now: www.transformjustice.org.uk/wp-content/u...

New report from us on the ways the single justice procedure flouts fair trial rights www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

New report from us on the ways the single justice procedure flouts fair trial rights www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

Lord Leveson's review of efficiency in courts in E&W is a curate's egg - good in parts. Great is his support for resolving crime out of court instead of clogging up magistrates' courts with comparatively trivial cases. Our recent research with victims suggested most are not focused on having their

Lord Leveson's review of efficiency in courts in E&W is a curate's egg - good in parts. Great is his support for resolving crime out of court instead of clogging up magistrates' courts with comparatively trivial cases. Our recent research with victims suggested most are not focused on having their

⚠️Have you signed up for our next webinar yet? On Monday 14th July we’ll be gathering online for a free webinar to explore our latest research into the experiences and priorities of victims in the criminal justice system. 🔗Sign up here - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beyond-the... #OutofCourtResolutions

Institutionalised child abuse? Dr Anne-Marie Day discusses solitary confinement for children in our must-listen latest podcast episode. 🎧🔗Catch up now: pod.fo/e/2eff5e

🚨NEW EPISODE 🚨 "Institutionalised abuse" is how some describe our treatment of children in custody. Dr Anne-Marie Day & Dr Laura Janes join us to discuss why children are detained & what it's like for a child. A vital listen for anyone concerned about youth justice! 🎧🔗 pod.fo/e/2eff5e

🎙️New episode of the Transform Justice Podcast coming tomorrow 👀 Featuring @laurajanes.bsky.social and @anne-marieday.bsky.social‬ alongside hosts @penelopegibbs.bsky.social‬ and Rob Allen, episode 48 explores the misuse - and overuse - of child imprisonment. Don't miss it - follow the podcast ⬇️

Check out @penelopegibbs.bsky.social's article in @thetimes.com today, discussing our newly published research into victims' experiences of the criminal justice system. 🔗Read the Times article here: www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

💡Just released: new Transform Justice report! An essential read for anyone interested in diversion, the report compares victims’ experiences of the court system versus out of court resolutions. 🔗Dive into our findings - read it now! www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/...

Resolving crime out of court is not soft justice. Handled well by police officers, it is effective justice for victims www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

What do victims of crime most? Our new research www.transformjustice.org.uk/wp-content/u... suggests victims' top priority is that the crime doesn't happen to them or anyone else again. They are not much motivated by getting their day in court. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Casey report asks for deletion of childhood criminal records of grooming gang victims. We support that but lets also wipe the slate clean for criminally exploited children & those who made stupid mistakes. A childhood criminal record shouldn't become, as it has, a life sentence www.fairchecks.org.uk