Michael Mansfield is a leading silk in civil liberties and human rights work, and has been considered to be “the king of human rights” by he Legal 500. He has worked on numerous well-known landmark cases, from that of Princess Diana to the Grenfell Tower. Lorna Hackett is also a high profile human rights barrister, and has much expertise advising in sensitive cases and those in which there is potential for media interest. They recently published their co-authored book: “The Power in The People: Not The People in Power.”

In this presentation, Michael and Lorna begin by presenting their contemporary work. Lorna introduces her charity – Inside Justice – which provides free access to legal experts and academics in order to identify and challenge miscarriages of justice. Michael then goes on to introduce the book that they have co-authored, which stresses the ways in which miscarriages of justice come to light is a result of people’s actions, not mechanisms of the system. Throughout the presentation, Lorna and Michael emphasise the importance of a change in legal culture and mindset as a necessity. They end by discussing the importance of adequate disclosure, and argue that perhaps a legislative reform is needed.

Key words/topics

Inside Justice

The Power in The People: Not The People in Power.

Miscarriages of justice

Human rights

Civil liberties

Legal culture

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984

Bates v Post Office Ltd (No.6: Horizon Issues) [2019] EWHC 3408 (QB)

The post office scandal

Martlet Homes Ltd vs Mulalley & Co Ltd [2022] EWHC 1813

The Grenfell Tower

Disclosure