Centre for Justice Policy

Researching why our justice system fails, and what would fix it. Home of the UK's first publicly released full trial transcript.
Run by @ASWren @MeIisactu

[Adam Wren @aswren]

One last comment on this. We redacted the names of witness & police officers given previous threats and we redacted addresses because the register shows the Digwa address as being social housing which likely has a new family in there now. Not required, but the ethical thing to do

[Adam Wren @aswren]

I was on times radio earlier to discuss the Nowak murder transcript release, reporting around the trial, and reforming our courts

[The Sun @TheSun]

New transcript reveals how Nowak killer was coached to use ‘race card’ https://t.co/QpO5BQ0Him

[Daily Mail @DailyMail]

'He's not been stabbed, he's pretending': Unedited transcript reveals moment Henry Nowak's killer lied about murdering student - and was prompted to make up racism lies by his brother https://t.co/Mzdr721YzZ

[Centre for Justice Policy @Justice_Policy]

This transcript was due to be released alongside a media publication, but since so many requested it, rather than have us all pay, the court provided us all with this transcript for free. Which is a welcome change, exactly what we have been fighting for

[Centre for Justice Policy @Justice_Policy]

Today as part of the Open Justice project we are releasing the transcript of the trial of the murder of Henry Nowak. Made specifically by the court this time. It can be found alongside our previously released grooming transcripts at:

https://t.co/WpWqzpl8XF

[Centre for Justice Policy @Justice_Policy]

Two sections have been withheld because they relate to proceedings that are still active. We'll publish them once those proceedings have fully concluded, to avoid any risk of prejudicing an ongoing trial. Police officers' names have also been redacted following past threats.

[Centre for Justice Policy @Justice_Policy]

Alongside our relaunch, we're opening one of our first new projects: a series of interviews with people working in care, social services and safeguarding.

The people who understand what's going wrong in these services are usually the ones working in them, and very little of what shapes the sector is written by anyone who has done the job. We want to change that.

We're speaking to people across the frontline about what the work is actually like, what gets in the way, and what would make a difference, and using what they tell us to inform research aimed at changing policy.

Everything contributors tell us stays confidential. They won't be identifiable in anything we publish, and we offer a £50 voucher at a shop of their choice as thanks for their time.

We'll be doing plenty of outreach ourselves over the coming weeks. But if you, or a friend or relative, sound like a good fit, we'd be glad if you'd take a look or pass it on:

https://t.co/coAtAcwWpY

[Centre for Justice Policy @Justice_Policy]

We started out publishing court records the public isn't normally allowed to see. We were the first organisation to privately obtain and publish court transcripts en masse, and the first to publish a full trial transcript in UK legal history.

The more of those records we read, the clearer it became that the failures in them weren't isolated. The same problems came up in case after case: demographic change, frontline services stretched past the point of function, institutions that cannot or will not act. Publishing more of it wasn't going to change any of that on its own, because the real question was why it kept happening in the first place.

That's the work we're moving into now. We're looking at why the justice system fails the people it's supposed to protect, what countries with better systems do differently, and how the same failures repeated themselves across so many towns. The transcript work carries on alongside all of this, because it's still where a lot of the evidence starts.
The name has changed and the remit is wider, but the reason we started this hasn't. We feel genuinely privileged to be able to do this work, and we're looking forward to what comes next.

[Adam Wren @aswren]

Pakistan need to be made to take this guy back, he’s their rapist

[Adam Wren @aswren]

Huge amount of American interest in this, so much so I was invited onto a cable news channel yesterday to discuss grooming gangs & immigration into europe

[Adam Wren @aswren]

Did a little segment on grooming gangs, the equality act, Makerfield and some other stuff with friends at the Charlie Kirk show earlier today

[MeIisa Tourt @meIisactu]

I believe also excluded from automatic release provisions / new reductions are prisoners on extended sentences, which gov could argue are ‘the most dangerous’.

None of the men in Fiona’s case received such sentences, barely any in any grooming gang trials have. I’d encourage people to read parts of @fionagoddarduk ‘s court transcript and decide for themselves whether they agree with government that these men aren’t guilty of some of ‘the most serious crimes’:

https://t.co/qQUeqo9IF9

[Adam Wren @aswren]

We have requested them! Waiting on judge approval. I think there’s clear public interest

[Adam Wren @aswren]

I was just on GBN to discuss the focus on @elonmusk Nowak comments.

It’s the grooming gang argument again. His language is not the issue, without him we wouldn’t have an inquiry, we wouldn’t have more funding for operations, we wouldn’t have those cold cases being reexamined

[Adam Wren @aswren]

I was on GBN to discuss the recent grooming gang trials.
We see these sentences of hundreds of years being handed down, but that’s an average of 11 years per perpetrator. Doesn’t feel like justice when victims were abused for 5 years & it took 10 years for the case to conclude

[Adam Wren @aswren]

I’m going to immediately request and publish the full transcript, which should have the witness statements of the police officers if the judge allows it, something really stinks here

[Claire Adams @claire_adams694]

Oldham last night was powerful, emotional, and long overdue.

Thank you to everyone who came. The people of Oldham were exactly what you expect from a proud northern town: hardworking, decent people who love where they are from and are sick of watching their town be failed by those meant to represent and protect them. That anger in the room was real, and after everything now on record about serious failings in Oldham, it is fully justified.

Survivors spoke with courage. Jamie-Leigh Jones shared her experience. Mohammed Nadeem spoke about the abuse he suffered as a young boy and the impact it has had on his life. Adam Wren from Open Justice UK brought clarity and challenge. Raja Miah who has campaigned for Oldham for years, spoke with real authority and helped cut through the policy jargon and spin. Fiona set out what the inquiry could and should deliver.

There is no wonder Oldham is included in the grooming gang inquiry. People here have felt ignored for far too long. The failures in Oldham are not imagined, and the community knows it. That is why the demand for accountability is so strong, and why those in positions of power, from the council upwards, have serious questions to answer.

We look forward to bringing Let’s Talk About Child Sexual Exploitation to Hull on May 15th.
@fionagoddarduk
@recusant_raja
@aswren
@OPENJ_UK

[GB News @GBNEWS]

'It's not historical abuse, it's an ongoing crisis.'

Director of Open Justice UK Adam Wren, says he is 'hopeful' about the latest update in the grooming gangs inquiry but questions why it is taking so long.

📺 Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604

[MeIisa Tourt @meIisactu]

V happy to have @OPENJ_UK analysis included in The Times’ write up on the inquiry today. I understand that getting where we are is momentous but looking at the detail this we should should label this as the ‘national inquiry’ that was asked for and the pace is v concerning