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Social Sciences School of Law

Warwick Law School Public Lecture - Registration Form

Getting Justice for women in a legal system designed by men

Harriet Wistrich, Centre for Women's Justice

Thursday 30 January 2025 | 17:00-18:00 | OC0.02 (Oculus Building)

Harriet Wistrich, solicitor and director of Centre for Women’s Justice, and author of ‘Sister in Law’ will talk about some of the landmark legal cases she has fought aimed at getting justice for women failed by the state and challenging discrimination inherent in the criminal justice system. Her talk will feature discussions of:

  • the battles for justice by women who have killed violent partners, including acting for Emma Humphreys and Sally Challen
  • the story of the eight women, deceived into sexual relationships by undercover police officers, who sought to hold the police accountable
  • the battles by two survivors of rape by the notorious taxi driver John Worboys, to hold the police accountable for their failures to investigate him and their later judicial review challenge of the parole board’s decision to release him
  • the work of Centre for Women’s Justice to hold the state accountable and bring about lasting change for women subject to male violence.
Image of Sister in Law book cover

Speaker Bio: Harriet Wistrich is founder and director of the Centre for Womens Justice 2016, a multi partner organisation aimed at bringing cases holding the state to account in relation to violence against women and girls. She is also a solicitor experience working with the renowned civil liberties firm, Birnberg Peirce Ltd. She is the winner of the Liberty Human Rights Lawyer of the Year award 2014, Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2018 and Law Society legal personality of the year 2019.She is also a founder of the campaign group Justice for Women and trustee of the charity, the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize.

She acted for DSD and NBV in the Supreme Court case against the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis (Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Appellant) v DSD and another (Respondents) [2018] UKSC 11) which has established a duty to investigate under Article 3 ECHR.She also acted for the same claimants in a successful judicial review challenge of the parole board decision to release John Worboys (R (DSD & Anor) v The Parole Board of England and Wales [2018] EWHC 694 (Admin)).She acted for the claimants, young women formerly pimped into prostitution, in a challenge of the Disclosure and Barring Scheme requirement that they disclose criminal convictions for soliciting, QSA and others v SSHD and SSJ EWHC/Admin/2018/407.html.She has also acted for a number of women in appeals against convictions for the murder of their violent partners, most recently including Sally Challen relying on new evidence of coercive and controlling behaviour.She also acted for a number of women who were deceived into relationships with undercover police officers, obtaining an unprecedented apology for a group of eight women.

This event will be followed by a drinks reception.

Please register for your place at this event by completing the form below.

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