Rebel Justice

Rebel Justice - The View Magazine

What is justice? Who does it serve? Why should you care?When we think about justice, we think about it as an abstract, something that happens to someone else, somewhere else. But justice and the law regulate every aspect of our interactions with each other, with organisations, and with the government. We never think about it until it impacts our lives, or that of someone close.Our guests are women with lived experience of the justice system whether as victims or women who have committed crimes; or people at the forefront of civic action who put their lives on the line to demand a better world..  We ask them to share their insight into how we might repair a broken and harmful system, with humanity and dignity. We also speak with people who are in the heart of the justice system creating important change; climate activists, judges, barristers, human rights campaigners, mental health advocates, artists and healers.

  1. 1D AGO

    Quaker Social Action

    Send us a text What if the most practical path to justice starts with listening harder than we speak? We sit down with Judith Moran, director of Quaker Social Action, to trace a journey from Victorian philanthropy to community-led solutions that protect dignity in the face of poverty, grief, and homelessness. Grounded in a clear definition of poverty as a lack of resources to meet minimum needs—including social participation—Judith shows how co-creation leads to services that work in the real world. We unpack how QSA uses unrestricted funding to test ideas and build what’s missing. Down to Earth grew from a single story of bereavement and debt into the UK’s leading support for funeral poverty, guiding families through affordable, meaningful choices while driving sector-wide change. That frontline credibility powered the Fair Funerals campaign, cross-party support in Parliament, and a Competition and Markets Authority investigation that set the stage for tighter industry regulation and improvements to funeral expenses payments. Alongside policy wins, we explore Turn a Corner, a mobile library for people experiencing homelessness that restores agency and human connection through books, learning, and conversation. Judith’s leadership lens—think it possible you may be mistaken—runs through everything: building blame-free culture, choosing consensus over ego, and treating integrity as a daily practice. We talk honestly about the cost of living crisis, the lingering shock of the pandemic, and a growing poverty of hope. We look at equity, diversity, and inclusion as unlearning and learning rather than a checklist, and we name the sector’s hardest questions: how to fund responsibly, who should lead, and when to collaborate or step aside. If you care about social justice, nonprofit innovation, bereavement support, homelessness, and policy change rooted in lived experience, this conversation offers a practical roadmap and a dose of courage. If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find stories that move ideas—and systems—forward. Credits Produced by Henry Chukwunyerenwa Support the show For more unmissable content from The View sign up here

    32 min
  2. 4D AGO

    101. Behind the Wigs: Life at the Criminal Bar. Kate Kelleher Part 2.

    Send us a text The courtroom looks orderly from the gallery, but behind the wigs and gowns is a profession running on grit, late nights, and vending machines. We sit down with criminal defense barrister Kate Kelleher and the Criminal Bar Association’s James Rosseter to reveal how the Criminal Bar keeps fairness alive while the system strains at every seam. Kate maps the quiet collapse of camaraderie since the pandemic: fewer juniors, downsized chambers, and loose networks that used to provide feedback, mentorship, and the small kindness of a post‑trial debrief. James connects these human shifts to structural problems, understaffed teams, equipment failures, and disclosure errors that still derail trials decades after notorious miscarriages of justice. The stories range from judges’ dinners that changed careers to real cases halted when phone data surfaced late, and to the absurdity of hunting a treasury tag while a jury waits. Small details, no café, no time, no space to talk, compound into big risks for fair trials. We explore the emotional toll the public rarely sees: flashbacks that intrude at bedtime, the discipline to avoid alcohol during trial, and the recurring fear of not being able to protect one’s own child in a police station. Kate draws a vital line between legal guilt and religious or moral guilt, reminding us that beyond a reasonable doubt is more than a phrase, it is the standard that protects us all. With local court reporting fading, the everyday work of justice disappears from view, leaving only sensational headlines and thin narratives. What gets lost is the humanity of people who still show up, hungry and exhausted, to make sure no stone is left unturned. If you care about justice reform, open courts, the Criminal Bar, and the real mechanics of fair trials, this conversation is your front-row seat. Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more listeners find stories that show how justice actually works, and how it can work better. Credits Produced by Henry Chukwunyerenwa Support the show For more unmissable content from The View sign up here

    38 min
  3. 100.  Mental Health in the UK Justice System: In Conversation with Barrister Kate Kelleher and James Rossiter from the Criminal Bar Association (Part 1)

    DEC 3

    100. Mental Health in the UK Justice System: In Conversation with Barrister Kate Kelleher and James Rossiter from the Criminal Bar Association (Part 1)

    Send us a text Justice feels distant until it isn’t. We open the doors to a courtroom few ever truly see, where trauma arrives with every case and formality—the wig, the gown, the ritual—exists to contain it. With barrister Kate Kelleher and Criminal Bar Association communications lead James Rossiter, we explore how lawyers hold the line between empathy and evidence while facing impossible timelines and rising complexity. Across candid stories and sharp analysis, we examine why language matters—why “victim” becomes “complainant” until a verdict—and what that means for fairness. We look at fitness-to-plead, the spillover from a strained mental health system, and the human toll of trials drifting into 2027 and even 2029.  We also tackle prevention. School exclusions that push children to the streets, social media that rewards impulse, and the loss of everyday boundaries mean too many meet their first real limit in court. Amid that, barristers carry years of detail, reheated at each review, with little time to build trust with clients. Victim personal statements can validate pain but seldom change sentences, revealing the emotional and legal limits woven through modern justice. This conversation is clear-eyed, humane, and grounded in lived practice. Donate to The View here Credits Guest: Kate Kalleher & James Rossiter Producer: Charlotte Janes & Nico Rivosecchi Soundtrack: Particles (Revo Main Version) by [Coma-Media]  Support the show For more unmissable content from The View sign up here

    47 min
  4. 97. Inside Medomsley Detention Centre: Abuse, Predators, Government Ignorance & Operation Deerness with PPO Adrian Usher

    NOV 12

    97. Inside Medomsley Detention Centre: Abuse, Predators, Government Ignorance & Operation Deerness with PPO Adrian Usher

    Send us a text A detention centre meant to correct young men became a blueprint for how institutions can enable predators. We dig into Medomsley’s regime of fear, the violence that greeted boys at the gate, and the sexual abuse that flourished where power went unchecked. Guided by survivors’ testimonies and an in-depth conversation with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman behind Operation Dearness, we explore how culture, leadership, and weak oversight combined to normalise harm and silence complaints. Across the episode, we follow the path from scalding baths and forced humiliation to predation in the kitchens, where Neville Husband exploited access and impunity. We examine preventable deaths and missed interventions by staff, police, and social workers The investigation’s findings lay out the full scale: thousands of victims, decades of abuse, and a system that prized order over care. More importantly, we map the reforms that can stop this cycle—proactive safeguarding that looks for abuse, child-friendly complaint systems, independent listeners, and tightly defined routes for families to raise serious concerns. Credits Guest: Adrian Usher Producer: Charlotte Janes Actors: John E Saxon, Benn Cordrey, Simon Green & David Wilson Soundtrack: Particles (Revo Main Version) by [Coma-Media]  Support the show For more unmissable content from The View sign up here

    37 min
  5. 95. The Hidden Sentence for Mothers – with Not Beyond Redemption’s Founder Camilla Baldwin & Solicitor Eben Vaughan-Philipps

    OCT 29

    95. The Hidden Sentence for Mothers – with Not Beyond Redemption’s Founder Camilla Baldwin & Solicitor Eben Vaughan-Philipps

    Send us a text Imagine serving three months for a non‑violent offence and imagine being released with no priority for housing, and a wall between you and your child. That’s the hidden sentence thousands of mothers face, and it’s where Not Beyond Redemption steps in with free legal advice and representation to keep families together. We sit with founder and solicitor Camilla Baldwin and solicitor Eben Vaughan-Philipps to unpack how the charity grew from a single clinic to a nationwide network in all 12 women’s prisons. They explain why contact often collapses after short sentences, how special guardianship orders and court delays can lock mothers out, and what it takes to rebuild family life: trauma‑informed support, consistent legal teams, and step‑by‑step contact plans that start with calls and can lead to overnights. A powerful case study shows what perseverance looks like when the stakes are a child’s sense of home. We also challenge the economics and ethics of custody. With most women imprisoned for non‑violent offences at around £65,000 a year, electronic tagging and community sentences offer a smarter path, protecting children’s routines while cutting reoffending. Camilla and Evan share front‑line realities from pin‑phone barriers to prejudiced assumptions, while making the health case for connection: sustained contact improves mental wellbeing and even life expectancy for mothers and children. Along the way, you’ll hear how pro bono law firms and barristers, trauma awareness, and judicial engagement are reshaping a system that has too often treated imprisoned mothers as beyond hope. https://notbeyondredemption.co.uk/ https://www.justgiving.com/charity/notbeyond-redemption info@notbeyondredemption.co.uk Credits Guest: Camilla Baldwin & Eben Vaughan-Philipps Producers: Charlotte Janes & Nico Rivosecchi Soundtrack: Particles (Revo Main Version) by [Coma-Media]  Support the show For more unmissable content from The View sign up here

    47 min

About

What is justice? Who does it serve? Why should you care?When we think about justice, we think about it as an abstract, something that happens to someone else, somewhere else. But justice and the law regulate every aspect of our interactions with each other, with organisations, and with the government. We never think about it until it impacts our lives, or that of someone close.Our guests are women with lived experience of the justice system whether as victims or women who have committed crimes; or people at the forefront of civic action who put their lives on the line to demand a better world..  We ask them to share their insight into how we might repair a broken and harmful system, with humanity and dignity. We also speak with people who are in the heart of the justice system creating important change; climate activists, judges, barristers, human rights campaigners, mental health advocates, artists and healers.

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