Survivors, lawyers, and advocates unite

The leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Liam Robinson, welcomed nearly 200 lawyers, charities, and community leaders to Liverpool Town Hall last night to highlight the urgent need for justice reform, particularly in the North of England. The ‘Journey to Justice’ event, organised by Liverpool law firm Broudie Jackson Canter and JUSTICE, the cross-party law reform charity, featured powerful testimonies from those directly impacted by systemic injustices.

Margaret Aspinall, chair of the former Hillsborough Family Support Group, Matt Fowler, founder of the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice UK Group, and Shane Smith, a Liverpool-based advocate and campaigner on the Windrush scandal, each detailed the obstacles they have faced in their pursuit of truth and accountability.

At the event, JUSTICE spoke about its ambition to establish JUSTICE North—an initiative aimed at strengthening its presence in the North of England. JUSTICE is exploring ways to deepen engagement with communities, policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders in the region to help ensure that voices from the North are heard in shaping policy and justice system improvements that impact people every day. Its success will be subject to securing critical funds necessary to hit the ground running.

Fiona Rutherford, Chief Executive of JUSTICE, said "For too long, Westminster has let down communities in the North who have long sought truth and justice. This must change. JUSTICE North will work to ensure that communities here are at the heart of shaping a fairer, more effective legal system."

The event also showcased Broudie Jackson Canter’s rich 64-year history in helping those fighting for truth and accountability in some of the country’s most momentous legal cases, including the Hillsborough Inquests, the Manchester Arena Inquiry, and the Covid-19 Inquiry.

Esther Leach, Managing Director of Broudie Jackson Canter, said "We’re proud of our history fighting for justice and we remain as passionate about upholding the rule of law today as we were when the firm first started. The firm is on the cusp of bringing about a monumental law change through Hillsborough Law, which will make a significant contribution to a fairer and more equitable society. Tonight’s event has shown yet again that justice matters."

The event went on to hear from an expert panel chaired by ITV’s former home affairs editor and political campaigner, Jennifer Nadel, alongside former shadow Attorney General Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, Ian Byrne MP for Liverpool West Derby, Broudie Jackson Canter’s veteran solicitor and freeman of the city Elkan Abrahamson, and Garden Court North’s award-winning civil liberties barrister Christian Weaver.

The panel discussed a wide range of issues examining the most pressing injustices in the UK today, asking why it often takes so long to address injustices, the vital role of lawyers, journalists, and whistleblowers in calling out injustices, and how society can be empowered to challenge injustice more effectively.

The event concluded with the architects of the ‘Hillsborough Law,’ Pete Weatherby KC and Elkan Abrahamson, reflecting on the path to making the law a reality, after the Prime Minister confirmed that a Hillsborough Law would be introduced in Parliament before the next anniversary of the disaster in April.

The two have had several meetings with government officials to ensure that the law, which would impose a legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries, delivers what so many have campaigned for over the years. Elkan Abrahamson told the audience that he "hopes and expects the new legislation matches the assurances given to us by ministers."

As the longest-serving law firm member of JUSTICE since 1963, Broudie Jackson Canter reaffirmed its commitment to championing truth and accountability for those who need it most.

Photo - Fiona Rutherford (L) Tyrone Steele (C) Esther Leach (R)