Are court staff welcoming? Can defendants participate effectively? How is anyone supposed to follow legal jargon?

We're back with more insights from our volunteer courtwatchers! In the latest wave of observation, volunteers recorded reflections on more than 2,000 cases and the findings are out now.

Rob and Penelope are joined by courtwatcher Rosemin Najmudin and Jessica Jacobson, Professor of criminal justice at Birkbeck, University of London to discuss effective participation, intimidating attitudes from some court staff, perceived racial bias in the courtroom, and much more.

Rosemin Najmudin

Learn more about courtwatching: https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/focus-areas/courtwatch-london/

Jessica Jacobson

Find out more about Jessica's work on procedural justice: https://clinks.org/publication/procedural-justice-courts

Further resources

Read our courtwatchers' latest findings:

• Due dignity: how are defendants treated in London magistrates' courts? https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/due-dignity-how-are-defendants-treated-in-london-magistrates-courts/
• Beyond reasonable delay : efficiency in London magistrates' courts https://www.transformjustice.org.uk/publication/beyond-reasonable-delay-efficiency-in-london-magistrates-courts-2/

Sign up to courtwatch across Englandd and Wales: https://transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlondon

Transform Justice

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TransformJust1⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@transformjustice.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

When someone commits a sexual offence, the punishment often extends far beyond the sentence—shaping their lives, and the lives of those around them, for years to come. In this episode, hosts Penelope and Rob are joined by Eppie Sprung, Chief Executive of Next Chapter Scotland, and Belinda Winder, Professor of Forensic Psychology at Nottingham Trent University.

Together they explore why sexual offences are treated as a category apart, the evidence behind interventions such as chemical castration, and the impact of stigma by association. Finally, they tackle a difficult question: is ostracising people who’ve committed sexual offences from society really the best way to ensure it doesn’t happen again?

Eppie Sprung

Find out more about Next Chapter Scotland here: https://www.nextchapterscotland.org.uk/

Belinda Winder

Belinda is a trustee of Unlock, and co-founder of the Safer Living Foundation. Find Belinda's research here: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/social-sciences/belinda-winder

Transform Justice

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@TransformJust1⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@transformjustice.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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

Restorative justice is one of the most powerful - and least understood - parts of the justice system. Proven to satisfy victims and slash reoffending, it’s justice that’s shaped around the needs of those involved, creating space for accountability, repair, and understanding. Sounds ideal…so why is it so underutilised?

In this episode we unpack restorative justice - what it is, how it works, and why it can be so hard to access. Joining us are Paul Kohler, Liberal Democrat MP for Wimbledon and a victim of violent crime who pursued restorative justice in search of answers, and Lucy Jaffe, a justice consultant and leading restorative justice advocate. We discuss what restorative justice looks like in practice, why so few people know about it, and policy proposals aiming to expand access.

Paul Kohler MP @PaulKohlerSW19

MP and Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland).

Read more about Paul’s parliamentary advocacy for restorative justice: https://www.paulkohler.uk/news/article/paul-kohler-mp-pushes-prime-minister-to-invest-in-restorative-justice

And see his amendment to the Victims and Courts bill (in conjunction with Why me? and Calm Mediation) here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3968/stages/20032/amendments/10027822

Lucy Jaffe

Former director of Why me?, current board member of the European Forum of Restorative Justice and restorative practitioner.

Read Lucy’s article about how campaigners are shaping restorative justice policy here: https://www.euforumrj.org/putting-restorative-justice-centre-stage-how-uk-campaigners-are-shaping-policy

Further Resources

Find out how to access restorative justice services here: https://why-me.org/our-work/do-you-want-restorative-justice/

Read more about the restorative justice amendment submitted to the Victims and Courts Bill: https://why-me.org/2025/restorative-justice-amendment-tabled-in-the-house-of-commons/

Transform Justice

Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@TransformJust1⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky: ⁠⁠⁠@transformjustice.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠policy@transformjustice.org.uk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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