Ep34: Eyes on the court - courtwatching comes to London

Last year, 82 volunteers armed with booklets, pens and a desire to see justice in action took to London's magistrates' courts and observed over 1000 hearings. They diligently recorded what they saw and heard, and provided Transform Justice with a wealth of insights into the often unseen goings-on of the magistrates' courts. In this episode, hosts Rob and Penelope are joined by passionate volunteer courtwatcher Premila Trivedi and senior lecturer and criminal justice researcher Becky Clarke of Manchester Metropolitan University. Together, they draw on the project findings as well as their own personal experiences to explore some critical questions: what challenges do court observers and defendants face in the magistrates' courts? How efficient and accessible are the courts, and are judgements fair and consistent? Premila Trivedi Premila is one of 82 volunteers who attended magistrates' courts around London from July to December 2023 contributed data to the CourtWatch London reports. Becky Clarke @beckyjoyC Learn more about Becky's work here: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/research/groups/the-justice-project-sites-of-resistance Further Resources Read and download all three CourtWatch London reports here: https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/focus-areas/courtwatch-london/ Sign up to the CourtWatch mailing list to be informed if volunteer applications open again: https://transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlondon 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.