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The UK government aims to stop publishing stats on homeless people’s deaths – here’s why that’s a problem

The UK government is consulting on plans to stop publishing vital statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on deaths of homeless people. This article sets out why they should continue to be published.

23rd February 2024

Equity statements are not enough – how elite British institutions can improve recruitment experiences for racially minoritised academics

Increasing demands for greater intellectual diversity have drawn attention to the under representation of racially minoritised groups in UK higher education institutions (HEIs). However, as this post explores, there is much more that British universities can do to improve recruitment experiences for racially minoritised academics.

15th December 2023

Merseyside Football’s Earliest Patrons and the Slave Trade Connection

This study is concerned with the roots of Everton Football Club and, given their shared heritage, Liverpool Football Club. It concerns a dimension to the history of both clubs that has been largely overlooked but should be considered in light of Liverpool’s ongoing civic reckoning with its historic slave trade connection. The research carried out suggests that the foundation period of professional football on Merseyside was marked by the patronage of well-known figures in Liverpool society who, directly or indirectly, profited from the exploitation of slavery and other forms of coerced labour.

15th December 2023
Protesters are shown, some holding placards, outside the Royal Courts of Justice

Primodos 2023: Fighting Against the Odds - A Denied Opportunity for Justice

In this article, Sharon Hartles highlights the high-profile legal battle involving numerous Primodos-affected claimants against pharmaceutical companies and the government. The court ruled against the claimants, dismissing their claims related to hormone pregnancy tests and foetal harm. This decision led to disappointment and criticism from advocates, MPs, and academics involved in the Primodos scandal.

Sharon Hartles is affiliated with the Risky Hormones research project, which is an international collaboration in partnership with patient groups. Additionally, she is a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative at the Open University.

19th September 2023
BHOPAL 38: 38 years after the BHOPAL preventable disaster

Bhopal 2023: Unfinished Business – Justice Denied?

In this article, Sharon Hartles explores the Supreme Court of India's decision to dismiss the long-standing legal battle over the Bhopal disaster settlement, marking a crucial moment in the pursuit of justice. As the 40th anniversary fast approaches, this preventable tragedy serves as a reminder of the importance of human lives over profit. Sharon Hartles is a member of the Open University’s Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative and is a member of the British Society of Criminology.

12th September 2023
From: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fthebluediamondgallery.com%2Flegal09%2Fj%2Fjury-trial.html&psig=AOvVaw16kXOPYTKr7wk2yaZuwqGB&ust=1683900971369000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCMjvjIy67f4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Jurors who believe rape myths contribute to dismal conviction rates – but judge-only trials won’t solve the problem

A Scottish pilot will see rape trials conducted without juries in what could set a dangerous precedent. In this article Dr Lee John Curley and Dr James Munro (both lecturers in Psychology at the Open University) discuss rape myths and judge only trials.  This article was initially published in the Conversation here: https://theconversation.com/jurors-who-believe-rape-myths-contribute-to-dismal-conviction-rates-but-judge-only-trials-wont-solve-the-problem-205066

11th May 2023
Human embryo at 5 weeks. www.shutterstock.com

Primodos 2023: The Fight for Justice Continues for the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests (ACDHPT)

In this article, Sharon Hartles presents evidence that supports the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests (ACDHPT) in their legal action against the British government and Bayer, a multinational pharmaceutical company. Despite the obstacles faced by the Primodos-affected families, they continue to fight for justice.

Sharon Hartles is affiliated with the Risky Hormones research project, which is an international collaboration in partnership with patient groups. Additionally, she is a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative at the Open University.

5th April 2023

Rana Plaza, 10 Years On: Fast Fashion, Lesson Forgotten?

“Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying.” Lucy Siegle, British journalist

The harms of fast fashion came into the public spotlight in 2013, when a ready-made garment (RMG) factory in Bangladesh collapsed. Next month marks the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse that occurred on the 24th of April 2013. This was not only one of the worst industrial incidents of modern time (although a quick Google search prefers categorising it into an accident and a disaster rather than a collapse); it was also a landmark case that opened people’s eyes to the harms of the ready-made garment industry. This article is a reminder of the [lack of] changes as a response to the collapse and a brief exploration into why these harms persist.

 

Article by Jana Macfarlane Horne.

This article was originally published on the BSC blog: https://thebscblog.wordpress.com/2023/03/23/rana-plaza-10-years-on-fast-fashion-lesson-forgotten/

30th March 2023

Stopping Ecocide and Climate Catastrophe: A Critique of the Criminal Law

In this short article Dr David Scott questions, from a penal abolitionist perspective, whether the criminal law can be effectively deployed to prevent climate catastrophe.  In so doing he questions the goals of influential pressure group Stop Ecocide International and highlights the importance of the recent book Ecocide by Professor David Whyte, which calls for ordinary people all around the world to directly challenge corporate power.

15th December 2022
Britannica image quest. ‘football, 2022 and the Qatar coat of arms on a black slate, photomontage’, imageBROKER/Siegra Asmoel Rights Managed /, https://quest-eb-com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/search/world-cup-ball-2022/1/322_4555203/football-2022-and-the-Qatar-coat-of-arms-on-a-black-slate , (Accessed 20 October 2022).

‘THE HYPES AND HARMS OF THE WORLD CUP FOOTBALL’

 The FIFA World Cup 2022 is almost upon us and the eyes of the world will be on Qatar during the unusually scheduled event to be played between 20th November and 18th December. For one sportswear company, adidas, the starting gun for the tournament sounded back in March 2022 with the launch of their Qatar World Cup ball called Al Rihla. This piece is written by dr Peter Kennedy and dr David Kennedy.

7th November 2022

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