Does equality before the law mean treating everyone the same? Sparks have flown in recent weeks as Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood and Lord Davis, Chairman of The Sentencing Council, debate proposed guidelines that encourage judges to consider pre-sentence reports for certain groups, including ethnic and religious minorities. The Lord Chancellor has publicly criticised the proposals for creating a "two-tier" justice system.

In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Sonya Ruparel, CEO of Women in Prison, and journalist David Shipley. They discuss what sparked the debate, why some oppose the guidelines, and who should have final say on matters informing sentencing.

Sonya Ruparel

Read Women in Prison's statement: https://womeninprison.org.uk/news/women-in-prison-respond-to-discussion-on-sentencing-council-guidance

David Shipley

Read David's article for the Spectator: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-sentencing-council-has-been-humiliated/

Further resources:

Read the guidlines that sparked the debate: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/overarching-guides/magistrates-court/item/imposition-of-community-and-custodial-sentences-overarching-guideline/

Read Rob's analysis of the debate: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/04/parliamentary-undersight-strange-case.html

Read the letters between the Lord Chancellor and Lord Davis:

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/20250310-Letter-from-Lord-Justice-William-Davis-to-Lord-Chancellor-on-Imposition-FOR-PUBLICATION.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e6640655be617e1490d69c/lord-chancellor-rt-hon_lord-justice-davis.pdf

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025-03-26-Letter-to-the-Lord-Chancellor-from-William-Davis-LJ-1.pdf

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

It's estimated that 50% of people in prison are neurodivergent, compared to around 15% of the general population. But why?

In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by David Breakspear, ambassador for ADHD Liberty, and Professor Stan Gilmour, former police officer and neurodisability researcher. Focusing on ADHD and brain injury, they discuss how neurodivergent people get caught up in the criminal justice system, why they might have worse outcomes than those who are neurotypical, and what the system could do to prevent neurodivergent people being unfairly criminalised.

David Breakspear

Find out more about David's work with ADHD liberty here: https://www.adhdliberty.org/

Stan Gilmour

Read Stan's most recent work on brain injury here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hidden-injuries-unaddressed-link-between-brain-trauma-gilmour-kpm-r0mye/

Further resources:

Brain injury and the criminal justice system: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/v8media/universityofexeter/schoolofpsychology/ccnr/documents/Brain_Injury_News_Issue_5_Spring_15.pdf

ADHD and the criminal justice system:

https://www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Takeda_ADHD-in-the-CJS-Roundtable-Report_Final.pdf

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BlueSky: @transformjustice.bsky.social

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

More than 70,000 cases ranging from drug possession to rape are currently waiting to be heard in the crown court. This backlog is leaving victims without justice, defendants in limbo, and the public questioning if our justice system is fit for purpose. The backlog has been the subject of much discussion, but is it all just commentary?

Hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by former Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk KC and Dominic Thomas, barrister at 25 Bedford Row, to talk solutions. Will increasing judge sitting days, reducing sentence lengths, or introducing a new 'intermediate' court finally fix things?

Alex Chalk KC @AlexChalkChelt

Read more about Alex's proposal for a new kind of court here: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/alex-chalks-radical-solution-for-the-crown-court-backlog-xpgrkdgw5

Dominic Thomas @domttom

Find out more about Dominic's work here: https://www.25bedfordrow.com/site/people/profile/dthomas

Further resources

For information about the courts review: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/independent-review-of-the-criminal-courts

Transform Justice's response to the review: https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Transform-Justices-response-to-the-Independent-Review-of-the-Criminal-Courts.pdf

Read more about Rob's experience being called for jury duty: https://reformingprisons.blogspot.com/2025/02/jurys-out.html

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Prison is intended to punish wrongdoing. But all too often it's not just the person on the inside who's punished, but those on the outside too: their family.

In this episode, Penelope and Rob are joined by Josie Cole, author of 'prison bag', a blog describing her experience navigating family life with a partner on the inside, and Dr Lorna Brookes, founder of Time Matters and Reader in Parental Imprisonment at Liverpool John Moores University.

They discuss the impact of separation through imprisonment on partnerships and children and how prison thwarts attempts to maintain relationships.

Josie Cole @prisonbag

Read Josie's blog Prison Bag here: https://us15.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=d1afca7a40fd3dfb4cead907c&id=fda16af2c8

Dr Lorna Brookes @TimeMattersUK1

Find out more about Lorna's work here: https://www.timemattersuk.com/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Though rare, children as young as 10 can be tried in criminal court in England and Wales. But are the courts up to the task of dealing with vulnerable children?

In this episode Rob and Penelope are joined by Aika Stephenson, solicitor and co-founder of Just for Kids Law, and Danielle Manson, criminal defence barrister. They discuss what kind of cases involving children go to court, how children are treated by judges and prosecutors, and how courts can be made more 'child friendly'.

Aika Stephenson @Justforkidslaw

Find Aika's book 'In Their Defence: Fighting for Youth Justice One Child at a Time' here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/in-their-defence/aika-stephenson-just-for-kids-law/9781789294873

Danielle Manson @daniellejmanson

Read more about Danielle's work here: https://www.matrixlaw.co.uk/member/danielle-manson/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Louise Haigh recently stepped down from government after a decade-old fraud case resurfaced. She is one of the 1 in 4 working age people in England and Wales with a criminal record. Her resignation ignited debate around our criminal records system, leaving many asking: when can someone with a criminal record move on?

In this episode, hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by Paula Harriott, CEO of Unlock, and Dr Nicola Collett, senior lecturer at De Montfort University. They discuss the reaction to Haigh's resignation, the reality of living with a criminal record, and the barriers that prevent people with past offences from moving on.

Paula Harriott @unlockcharity

Find out more about Paula's work and learn about criminal records here: https://unlock.org.uk/

Dr Nicola Collett @nicola_collett

Read Nicola's research on the lifelong impact of criminal records here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385410602_The_life-long_consequences_of_criminal_justice_interactions_research_findings

Join FairChecks and help us reform the outdates criminal records system

Sign up here: https://fairchecks.org.uk/

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

The government has just announced an independent review of sentencing to be carried out by former Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, David Gauke, and an expert panel. But will it help solve our prison crisis?

In this episode, our hosts are joined by Nicky Padfield, a member of the sentencing review panel, and John Bache, a magistrate and former Chair of the Magistrates' Association. They discuss how sentencing practices have contributed to our overgrown prison population and what they hope to see out of the sentencing review.

This episode was recorded on 5th November 2024.

Professor Nicky Padfield KC @cambridgelaw

Sentencing review panel member and Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice, University of Cambridge

John Bache @JohnBache3

Magistrate and former Chair of the Magistrates' Association

Further resources

Submit to the sentencing review call for evidence here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/independent-sentencing-review-2024-to-2025/independent-sentencing-review-2024-to-2025-call-for-evidence

For more information about the Sentencing Review: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/independent-sentencing-review-2024-to-2025

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

Lawyers and judges are the gatekeepers of our justice system. But the Post Office scandal has forced many to ask: are they the ethical backbone of society or enablers of injustice?

In our second episode looking at the scandal, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Professor Richard Moorhead, University of Exeter, and John Hyde, Law Society Gazette, to discuss whether lawyers and judges were complicit in the miscarriages of justice which have emerged through the ongoing Post Office enquiry.

Who knew what when? Did they have a responsibility to disclose? What should they have done differently? Join us to dive into these questions and more.

Richard Moorhead @RichardMoorhead

Subscribe to hear more of Richard's thoughts on the Post Office scandal here: https://richardmoorhead.substack.com/

Read about Richard's research work here: https://postofficeproject.net/

Sign up to watch the livestream of Richard's Hamlyn Lecture on 13th November:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events/2024/nov/hamlyn-lectures-2024-frail-professionalism

John Hyde @JohnHyde1982

Read John's work on the Post Office scandal here: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/john-hyde/3670.bio

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

The criminal justice system is bursting at the seams. But why is it so hard to fix this system in crisis? In this episode, Rob and Penelope are joined by Tom O’Grady, associate professor at UCL, and Campbell Robb, CEO of NACRO to discuss how the voluntary sector can advocate for better justice.

They discuss the impact of the media and public opinion and and ask the crucial question: if politicians know the system’s broken, why haven’t they done more to fix it?

Tom O’Grady @DrTomD_OG

Read the report, co-authored by Tom and Gemma Buckland, about what politicians and their advisors think about criminal justice reform: https://www.nacro.org.uk/resource/better-justice-report-march-2024/ 

Campbell Robb @Nacro

Find out more about the Better Justice partnership and NACRO’s work here: https://www.nacro.org.uk/better-justice-partnership/

Transform Justice
Website: www.transformjustice.org.uk
Twitter: @TransformJust1
Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.

England and Wales is one of a tiny number of jurisdictions worldwide in which lay people sit in judgement of their peers. Some argue that magistrates play a vital role bridging the courtroom and the community. But does this work in practice?

In this episode our hosts are joined by Robin Fenwick, former magistrate, and Dr Kate Leader, senior lecturer at Queen Mary University. They discuss why we have magistrates, what powers they possess, and what it's like to be a magistrate behind the scenes.

Robin Fenwick @RobinComms

Read more about Robin here: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64512612

Dr Kate Leader @leader_kate

Find out more about Kate's work here: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/law/people/academic-staff/items/leader.html

Transform Justice

Website: ⁠⁠www.transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠

Twitter: @TransformJust1

Email: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

The Transform Justice podcast is hosted by Penelope Gibbs and Rob Allen and produced and edited by Alexandra Kimmons.