‘Joint Enterprise on Trial’ by APPEAL is published with foreword by Keir Monteith KC.
A new report, ‘Joint Enterprise on Trial’ has been published following APPEAL’s 6-month long observations in the Central Criminal Court (‘Old Bailey’) on the use of joint enterprise in serious criminal trials. Researchers observed 17 murder and attempted murder trials and found that young black males are disproportionately charged with murder under joint enterprise.
Keir Monteith KC represented one of the defendants in trial, and outlined his key reflections in the report’s foreword. He described the research as ‘a wakeup call for the Justice Secretary and all those that are involved in reforming the Criminal Justice System’ and emphasises the need for change. In conversation with Channel 4, Keir noted, “It is, sadly, institutional racism. The evidence is overwhelming in relation to the racial bias in the criminal justice system.” See the full Channel 4 coverage here.
In light of their research, APPEAL calls for legislative change to create a safer framework for prosecution, as well as wider accountability in the application of the law from the police, the CPS and the judiciary.
The report found a striking pattern of overcharging defendants, with individuals being swept up in murder charges despite only very tenuous connections to the crime. APPEAL described “in many cases, the evidence was weak, and in some, virtually non-existent.” The practice was also found to be riddled with racialised constructions of crime and criminality, including stereotyping about gangs, drugs and knife crimes, often central to the prosecution’s case. Read more from The Guardian here.
Find out more on how to take action with APPEAL here.
