Over the next year, LAG – in partnership with Garden Court Chambers – is holding a series of talks under the Rough Justice banner, on miscarriages of justice and those at the sharp end of the justice system.

We began on 26 October 2023 with an event on policing and protest in Britain. The discussion originated from Matt Foot and Morag Livingstone’s book Charged: How the Police Try to Suppress Protest,1For a review, see February 2023 Legal Action 12. a careful, in-depth investigation into how protest is policed in the UK. Foot and Livingstone presented a short film about the book that mapped the modern history of protest in the UK, from miners’ protests in 1984 to the student fee protests in 2011. They discussed Charged with social justice campaigner and journalist Fiona Bawdon, who chaired the event, and Foot explained that ‘this history of policing reveals the true character of a state that tries to silence dissent with violence’.

The second half of the evening focused on the erosion of the right to protest in recent legislation. Michael Goold from Garden Court Chambers took the audience through recent protest cases as well as new legislation that was brought in to police and target ‘primarily peaceful protest’. He explained that the police now ‘have far, far more powers to restrict and ban protest’. Goold was followed by Ben Smoke, a journalist and activist. He was part of the Stansted 15 group who ‘locked on’ to a Boeing 767 plane to stop a deportation flight from leaving the UK. Smoke was hugely entertaining, speaking of his experiences protesting across the UK about a variety of issues. While he was modest in reflecting on his own actions, his solicitor. Raj Chada, who also appeared on the panel, drew attention to Ben’s immense ‘courage’ in his acts of resistance.

Chada reflected on the shock decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge Ben and the Stansted 15 with terror-related offences, and the journey to the Court of Appeal, where the convictions were overturned. The two made an entertaining double act, with Chada frequently reminding Smoke not to say anything that could land him in trouble.

The final speaker was Ife Thompson from 1MCB Chambers, who set up Black Protest Legal Support, a group of legal observers who monitor police conduct during protests. She described the scenes she had witnessed at protests and observed that ‘the anti-Blackness is very apparent and the use of force towards Black and Brown protesters is worrying’. Thompson founded the group to ensure that Black and ethnic minority people feel safe and comfortable to exercise their right to protest. It was a sombre but important reminder about the dangers faced by many when interacting with the police in the UK.

Rough Justice will continue in 2024 with the next event focusing on the Andy Malkinson case. Please check LAG’s events page for more information.