Racial Justice
APPEAL’s Statement on Jury-Trial Reforms
APPEAL’s Statement on Jury-Trial Reforms 3 December 2025 The charity APPEAL renews its strong opposition to government announcement that drastically reduces the role of juries in criminal trials across England and Wales. These reforms, triggered in part by the recently published review by Sir Brian Leveson and revived in the light of a severe crown-court…
Read MoreWe’re Hiring (Racial Justice Researcher and Lawyer)
We’re Hiring 🚨 JOIN THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE APPEAL is recruiting passionate individuals to help overturn wrongful convictions and challenge deep-rooted racial injustices in the criminal justice system. We’re hiring: Racial Justice Lawyer – Use your legal skills to fight racial inequality in convictions. Racial Justice Researcher – Conduct vital research into racial injustice themes.…
Read MoreOur Impact Report 2024-25
Impact Report 2024-25 Signs of Hope, Calls for Change This year, we’ve seen genuine signs of hope for those failed by the justice system. The Law Commission’s decision to undertake a long-overdue review of the criminal appeals process signals a growing recognition that our system is not working as it should, and the results…
Read MoreJury on Trial
Jury on Trial: How Leveson’s Proposals Risk Greater Racial Bias and Wrongful Convictions 15 August 2025 Jury on Trial: How Leveson’s Proposals Risk Greater Racial Bias and Wrongful Convictions Alannah Burdess, Legal Intern at APPEAL, reviews Sir Brian Leveson’s proposals for jury trials. She discovered a wide range of evidence that shows how they would…
Read MoreErrol Campbell: Court of Appeal quashes convictions linked to corrupt officer Derek Ridgewell
Court of Appeal quashes convictions linked to corrupt officer Derek Ridgewell © Jess Hurd 17/07/2025 London, UK. Photo credit: Jess Hurd In a historic judgment at the Royal Courts of Justice on 17 July 2025, the Court of Appeal quashed the convictions of Errol Campbell and Ronald DeSouza—two men wrongfully prosecuted in the 1970s…
Read MoreLeveson’s Outcomes: A Grave Threat to Justice
Leveson’s Outcomes: A Grave Threat to Justice 7 July 2025 Sir Brian Leveson’s newly published review of the criminal courts proposes sweeping changes — including abolishing juries for many offences with sentences up to two years, and allowing judge-only trials for complex fraud. It also proposes in cases of exceptional length or complexity, a…
Read MoreJoint Enterprise on Trial
Joint Enterprise on Trial 📢 Joint Enterprise on Trial On 26 June 2025, APPEAL’s Racial Justice Lead, Dr Nisha Waller and Racial Justice Researcher, Tehreem Sultan launched ‘Joint Enterprise on Trial’, a report exposing the harsh realities of joint enterprise prosecutions at the Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey. The launch event…
Read MoreIn It Together – Race and Joint Enterprise
In It Together – Race and Joint Enterprise Presented by Maxine Peake, this episode looks at how and why race affects joint enterprise and features Joseph Appiah’s experience of conviction under joint enterprise. We hear from experts including legal dragnet author Dr Nisha Waller, Dr Felicity Gerry KC, Professor Matt Dyson, Becky Clarke, Simon Natas…
Read MoreReflections on Martyn Blake’s trial
Reflections on Martyn Blake’s trial APPEAL’s Nisha Waller explores the trial of the police officer that killed Chris Kaba The recent acquittal of Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martyn Blake has sparked critical conversations about police accountability and prosecution decisions in the criminal legal system. Blake shot and killed Chris Kaba, an unarmed Black man, during…
Read MoreOur Impact Report 2023-24
Impact Report 2023/2024 What a year it has been for APPEAL! Last July after many years of hard work our client Andrew Malkinson won his appeal at the Court of Appeal. Andy was finally able to achieve justice and the outpouring of support from the public has been extraordinary. The magnitude of the fallout from…
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