Windrush Day

Windrush Day in Great Britain commemorates the day, June 22, 1948, when a ship, the Empire Windrush, arrived in London with the first group of people from countries in the Caribbean to live in the UK, following the Second World War.

This year a webinar entitled "THE BLACK MUST GO FREE” How a legal ruling on ‘Windrush Day’ in 1772, is as relevant as ever on Windrush Day 2021" explored a legal ruling from 1772 about the status of a Black slave who arrived in London from the Caribbean. The webinar was presented by Matthew Ryder, QC, of Matrix Chambers and Alexandra Wilson of 5 St Andrews Hill. 1 hour, 15 min., no transcript.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

NPR’s All Things Considered has an interview with Ava DuVernay who has made a documentary called 13TH which looks at the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, abolishing slavery, in the perspective of the very large number of people in U.S. prisons. DuVernay’s film, Selma, was nominated for an Oscar last year. The recent documentary can be seen on Netflix. 5 min, transcript available.

Things We Missed Over the Summer

A new series by Clive Coleman -  Every Case Tells a Story, started in June on the BBC with three 28 minute episodes :

• Treason on Trial (1945 trial of « Lord Haw-Haw »)
• The Case Against Slavery (1772 Somersett Case)
• The Case of Kolkata (2005 case to decide who founded the city)

Elsewhere, Clive Coleman spoke to judges on the subject of diversity in the judiciary. A downloadable version can be found here. 4 min 34 sec, transcript available.

On the subject of the judiciary in England and Wales, BBC’s Law in Action had a programme in June entitled Courts on Trial. 28 min, no transcript. Law in Action will be back with a new series of episodes in November.