Actors, academics and legal experts amongst 170 signatories of an open letter to back my Bill
Over 170 actors, academics, legal experts, trade unionists, heads of civil society organisations, campaigners and Lords have signed an open letter supporting my Bill to reform Joint Enterprise.
The letter calls on the Government not to use its parliamentary majority to block the Bill at this early stage in its progression. This Bill and its potential consequences deserve full scrutiny at a Committee Stage, and we ask the Government to lay out its objections, if any, at the earliest opportunity.
My Bill will have it’s second reading Friday 2nd February.
Joint enterprise is the 300-year-old legal doctrine that was brought back into use under the guise of prosecuting ‘gang violence.’ But it has led to innocent people - many young, working class and Black boys - facing life sentences for crimes they did not commit. Please add your names to this open letter to show your support by emailing jointenterprisebill@gmail.com
We the undersigned express our full support for Kim Johnson MP’s Joint Enterprise (Significant Contribution) Bill. This Bill seeks to ensure that criminal liability only applies to people who make a “significant contribution” to an offence, and will be debated in Parliament on Friday 2 February.
We believe this change in the law is urgently needed. Victorian-era legislation provides powers to prosecute those who “aid, abet, counsel or procure” a crime, but the common law has developed over time to widen the scope for prosecutions and convictions, leading to the incarceration of thousands of people – many of whom have received life sentences when they made no significant contribution to the crime of another person. This injustice destroys lives and places undue burdens on the courts, prison system and taxpayer.
It is possible both to uphold the law by providing powers to prosecute those who play a significant role in a crime, and to prevent innocent people from going to jail. This Bill aims to do just that.
A miscarriage of law is still a miscarriage of justice, and this Bill addresses serious concerns that joint enterprise can be used by prosecutors to maximise convictions. Black people are 16 times more likely than white people to be prosecuted for homicide or attempted homicide under joint enterprise, according to data from a recent Crown Prosecution Service pilot study undertaken because of legal action by Liberty and campaign group JENGbA.
MPs will soon have their first opportunity to debate this Bill, and we are calling on the Government not to use its parliamentary majority to block the Bill at this early stage in its progression. This Bill and its potential consequences deserve full scrutiny at a Committee Stage, and we ask the Government to lay out its objections, if any, at the earliest opportunity.
Signed:
Jimmy McGovern Screen writer and producer, Common
Colin McKeown Producer, Common
David Blair Director, Common
Andrew Tiernan Actor
Michelle Fairley Actor
Daniel Mays Actor
Susan Lynch Actor
Finn Atkins Actor
Andy Ellis Actor
Nico Mirallegro Actor
Shona McWilliams Actor
Stephen Moyer Actor
Maxine Peake Actor
Ken Loach Film director and screenwriter
Steven Waddington Actor
John Simm Actor
Jason Flemyng Actor
Ace Bhatti Actor
Peter Fernandino Actor
Lamin Touray Actor
Matthew Fraser-Holland Actor
Helen Tunnicli Actor
Liz White Actor
Sean Cernow Actor
Tim Bentnick Actor
Robin Hayter Actor
Orlessa Altass Actor
Simon Furness Actor
Craig Kelly Actor
Jason Merrells Actor
Simon Balfour Actor
Simone Lahbib Actor
Ania Sowinski Actor
Kevin O'Donohoe Actor
Peter Broome Actor
Jasmine Hinds Actor
Fran Robertson Filmmaker, C4 Jailed Over a Group Chat
Jemma Gander Director and producer, C4 Jailed Over a Group Chat
Tracey Larcombe Director
Sharon Platt-McDonald Director
Royston Smith Director
Lindsey Bowden Producer
Gary Younge Professor, Journalist and Author
Jay Bernard Writer and Artist
Sian Hoffman Creative Director
Anna Quickfall Manager
Danielle Jawando Author
Peter Stefanovic Campaign for Social Justice
Anton Califano Film maker
Nick Ellis Musician
Adam Curtain Musician
David Hoyle Performance Artist
Martin Murray Former professional boxer, Think F.A.S.T Academy
Adèle Oliver Author
Dr Jude Jeanville Pastor and author
Will Pritchard Journalist
Michael O’Brien Author and one of the Cardiff Newsagent Three
Sally Mundy Photographer
Lady Frances O’Grady Former General Secretary of the TUC
Lord John Hendy KC
Lady Shami Chakrabarti
Lord John Attlee
Lady Christine Blower
Lord Tony Woodley
Lord Paul Boateng
Lord Prem Sikka
Andrew Malkinson One of Britain’s longest serving victims of a miscarriage of justice
Sharon Graham General Secretary, Unite the Union
Ian Lawrence General Secretary, National Association of Probation Officers
Daniel Kebede General Secretary, National Education Union
Dave Ward General Secretary, The Communication Workers Union
Mick Lynch General Secretary, National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport workers
Mick Whelan General Secretary, Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers &Firemen
Michelle Stanistreet General Secretary, National Union of Journalists
Sarah Wooley General Secretary, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union
Ian Hodson National President, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union
Jo Grady General Secretary, University and College Union
Paul Fleming General Secretary, Equity
Rob Monks General Secretary, United Road Transport Union
Kevin Allsop President, Greater Manchester TUC and Trustee, Greater Manchester Law Centre
Lynda Rooke President, EquityUK
Gloria Morrison Co-founder, JENGbA
Jan Cunliffe Co-founder, JENGbA
Matt Foot Co-Director, APPEAL
Emma Torr Co-Director, APPEAL
Eduard Keshishyan Pastor
Berhanu Tsehaye Pastor
Colin Stewart Pastor
Dr Jude Jeanville Pastor
Kerr Thomas President, Seventh-day Adventist Church
Connie Tsang Minister of Religion
Emmanuel Asamoah Minister of Religion
Mohan Abbadassari Minister of Religion
Harrison Mburani Minister of Religion
Rodolfo Portes Minister of Religion
Michael Anim Minister of Religion
Dr Mario Phillip Minister of Religion
Hezron Adingo Minister of Religion
Linda Asare Minister of Religion
Stanley Teixeira Minister of Religion
Christina Jordean Black Lives Matter
Andrea Coomber KC Cheif Executive, Howard League
Pia Sinha Cheif Executive, Prison Reform Trust
Akiko Hart Interim Director, Liberty
Deborah Coles Director, INQUEST
Richard Garside Director, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies
Helen Mills Head of Programmes, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies
Liz Fekete Director, Institute of Race Relations
Donna Mooney UNGRIPP
Dr Shabna Begum Interim CEO, Runnymede Trust
Sheila Coleman Hillsborough Justice Campaign
Paddy Hill One of the Birmingham 6, Miscarriages of Justice Organistion
Joe Steele Wrongfully convicted of murder, Miscarriages of Justice Organisation
Kate Flannery Secretary, Orgreave Truth and Justice
Habib Khadiri Executive Director, StopWatch
Jon Robins The Justice Gap
Sonya Ruparel Chief Executive, Women in Prison
Pippa Goodfellow Chief Executive, Alliance for Youth Justice
Lubia Begum-Rob Director, Prisoners' Advice Service
Aika Stephenson Legal Director, Founder and Co-Lead, Just for Kids Law
Diane Curry OBE CEO, Partners of Prisoners
D Peter Herbert Chair, Society of Black Lawyers and Bandung
Harriet Wistrich Centre for Women's Justice
Sophie Radice Head of Campaigns, Women for Refugee Women
Elli Brazzill Founder, Art Not Evidence
Chloe Field NUS Vice President for Higher Education
Nehaal Bajwa NUS Vice President for Liberation and Equality
Shahida Saddique Diversecity Development Trust and Faithstar
Mark Blake Criminal Justice Alliance
Katie Shaw RECLAIM
Chery Phoenix The Black Child Agenda
Kessie Adeyemi The Black Child Agenda
Danny Barrs Promoting Prisoners Maintaining Innocence
David Shaw Promoting Prisoners Maintaining Innocence
Niamh Eastwood Executive Director, Release
Julie Wharton Director, Hideaway Youth Project
Pavan Dhaliwal Chief Executive, Revolving Doors
Dame Sara Llewellin Chief Executive, Barrow Cadbury Trust
Jabu Nala-Hartley Director and Founder, Mothers for Justice Ubuntu
Akemia Minott 84YOUTH
Indy Cross Chief Executive, Agenda Alliance
Hazel Erry Chair, Amnesty International Manchester Group
Luke Billingham Hackney Quest and Research Associate at Open University
Stafford Scott Guest Professor of Forensic Architecture& Director of Tottenham Rights CIC
L’Myah Sherae Chief Executive, Enact Equality
Margaret Gardener CEO, FASO UK
Leroy Logan MBE Chair, Transition to Adulthood Alliance and former Met Police Superintendent
Jessica Lamb Founder, DSTNCT SPACE
Abdirahim Hassan Founder, Coffee Afrik CIC
Sonya Jones MBE Service Manager & Safeguarding Lead, With You Shropshire
Founder of SPACE Stop & Prevent Adolescent Criminal Exploitation.
Annie Campbell Bail for Immigration Detainees
Dr Felicity Gerry KC Libertas Chambers
Michael Mansfield KC Nexus Chambers
Glynn Maddocks KC Watkins & Gunn
Nina Grahame KC Garden Court North Chambers, Manchester
Keir Monteith KC Garden Court Chambers
Gary Green KC Doughty Street Chambers
Henry Grunwald OBE KC Crucible Law
Katy Thorne KC Doughty Street Chambers
Pete Weatherby KC Garden Court North Chambers
Chris Daw KC Millenium Chambers
Rajiv Menon KC Garden Court Chambers
Audrey Cherryl Mogan Garden Court Chambers
Benjamin Knight Head of Crime at Central Chambers, Manchester
Bunty Batra Libertas Chambers
Marie Spenwyn Libertas Chambers
Simon Natas ITN Solicitors
Pippa Woodrow Doughty Street Chambers
Adam Wagner Doughty Street Chambers
Rajiv Menon KC
Chaynee Hodgetts Barrister, Libertas Chambers
Tayyiba Bajwa Doughty Street Chambers and Supervising Clinical Attorney at UC Berkeley School of Law
Jo Chart Sperrin Law
Stephen Akinsanya 15NBS
Neil Ross 15NBS
Professor Matthew Dyson Professor of Civil and Criminal Law, University of Oxford
Nisha Waller Criminology DPhil ESRC Grand Union Scholar, University of Oxford
Nicola Padfield Retired Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice, University of Cambridge
Becky Clarke The Justice Project, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Patrick Williams The Justice Project, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr David Gordon Scott Chair of Weavers Uprising Bicentennial Committee
Dr Lucy Welsh Solicitor, Reader in Criminal Justice, University of Sussex
Dr Abenaa Owusu-Bempah Associate Professor of Law, LSE
Lee Bridges Professor Emeritus, School of Law, University of Warwick
Dr Louise Hewitt Associate Professor in Law, University of Greenwich
Dr Will Mason Senior Lecturer in Applied Social Sciences, University of Sheffield
Professor Jo Phoenix Professor of Criminology, School of Law, University of Reading
Professor Elaine Player Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London
Dr Denis Eady Director of Cardiff University Law School Innocence Project
Professor Julie Price Founder of Cardiff University Law School Innocence Project
Dr Lambros Fatsis Senior Lecturer in Criminology, City, University of London
Ed Cape Emeritus Professor of Criminal Law and Practice, University of the West of England
Professor Jessica Jacobson Professor of Criminal Justice, Birkbeck, University of London
Dr Susie Hulley Senior Research Associate, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge
Professor Emeritus Phil Scraton School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast
Dr Deena Haydon Independent Researcher, Childhood Rights and Justice
Professor Joe Sim Liverpool John Moores University
Professor Eithne Quinn University of Manchester
Professor Bridget Byrne Professor of Sociology, University of Manchester
Dr Remi Joseph-Salisbury Reader, University of Manchester
Professor Claire McGourlay University of Manchester
Dr Kathryn Chadwick Principal Lecturer Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Sabine R Sharp University of Manchester
Dr Keir Irwin-Rodgers Senior Lecturer in Criminology, The Open University
Simon Scott PhD Researcher, Nottingham Trent University
Professor Belinda Winder Research Director, Centre for Crime, Offending and Prevention, Nottingham Trent University
Alison Wearden University of Manchester
Victoria Canning Professor of Criminology, Lancaster University Law School
Dr Bela Bonita Chattrjee Senior Lecturer, Lancaster University Law School
Laura Triptree JENGbA
Deb Madden JENGbA
Sandra Holland JENGbA
Aleakwe James JENGbA
Michael Tiernan JENGbA
Leola Myers JENGbA
Vicky Sheridan JENGbA
David Ayling JENGbA
Justine Lewen JENGbA
Sarah Potter JENGbA
Donna Newing JENGbA
Mazula Noe JENGbA
Charlotte May Henry JENGbA
Dr Sally Henry JENGbA
Brendan Turton JENGbA
Joe Wadsted JENGbA
Stephen Walker JENGbA
Yvonne Belardini JENGbA
Sandra McWilliams JENGbA
Mandy McCracken JENGbA
Sam May JENGbA
Tracy Hibbert JENGbA
Rachel Halpin JENGbA
Karen Whitby JENGbA
Hannah Moore JENGbA
Kerry Sunderland JENGbA
Claire Congrove JENGbA
Rodger Lowe JENGbA
Natalie Lowe JENGbA
Dawn Dalling JENGbA
Keith Dalling JENGbA
Joshua Walker JENGbA
Ruby St Leger JENGbA
Ben McGorty JENGbA
Kelly Crouch JENGbA
Rickey English Boxing Coach
Isabella Donnelly JENGbA
Clara White JENGbA
Emily Bolton APPEAL
Nicola Speed JENGbA
Bethan Jones Team Manager, Barnardo’s ‘Your Rights Your Voice’ Parc YOI and Barton Moss Secure Children’s Home
Chris Neville Branch Chair, Unite NW/70209
Martin Hall Unite NW 70209 Social Media Officer
Mark Fogg Unite NW/70209 branch Disabled Members Officer
Jack Hopkins Treasurer, Unite NW/70209 North West Service Industries Branch
Nicolette Ward Joint-LGBTQ+ Officer, Unite NW/70209
Alison Wearden Communications Secretary, Amnesty International, Manchester group
Monica Bolton Amnesty International, Manchester group
Joy Bolton Amnesty International, Manchester group
Alan Mould Amnesty International, Manchester group
Gavin Steward Amnesty International, Manchester group
Dr Mary Gibbs Amnesty International, Manchester group
Claire Stott Amnesty International, Frome Somerset group
Judy Hosegood Amnesty International, Frome Somerset group
Rev Margaret Crawshaw Amnesty International, Frome Somerset group
Jane Jennifer Amnesty International, Diss group
Saul Staniforth Unite NW/70209
Diane Hempsall Unite NW/12500
Lacey Walker Prison Case Manager
Lucy Knell-Taylor Exploitation and Missing Service Manager and Youth Worker
Helen Mahaffey Systemic Child & Family Psychotherapist and experienced Child & Adolescent specialist
Chelsea Charles Student
Candice Charles Doctoral student
Roger Charles Payroll Specialist
Sophie Charles Director of Community Services
Orville Fuller Senior Electrician
Janette Joseph Retired Nurse
Jacqueline Edwards Ordained Elder
Radcliffe Reid Teacher
Sandra Martelly Ordained Elder
Michael Coleman Architectural Consultant
Grant Stollery
Victoria Teeple
Jude Jeanville Minister of religion, author and former Justice of the Peace
Pastor Sam Davies
Maureen Pollock