Where is Justice Now?
The latest in our series of Byline @ The Cockpit events is another open-form discussion on 12 October, asking what justice should look like in 2026. Can it be found in a society increasingly torn between punishment without mercy and power without consequence?
Human societies have always made choices about how we respond to the people that cause harm. But the age old question – whether to forgive or to punish – is not always such a simple one.
Today, certain people experience drastic consequences for minor infractions, while other powerful perpetrators seem to exist far outside of the reach of accountability altogether.
The apparatus of justice itself is under strain, with unprecedented prison overcrowding and court backlogs. In an attempt to clear the judicial blockage, Government is looking to restrict the democratic right to be heard by ones peers and be tried in front of a jury – provoking further arguments about what fundamental protections we’re willing to sacrifice.
With Byline Times’ Peter Jukes and Hardeep Matharu hosting, we’ll be joined by Frances Crook, former Chief Executive of the UK’s oldest penal reform charity (founded in 1866), the Howard League for Penal Reform, and Jennifer Nadel, barrister, campaigner for political accountability, and co-founder of Compassion in Politics.
Expect expert insights and deep-dive debates, plus surprise readings from literary and theatrical classics that tackle questions of justice. More speakers TBA soon.
We do hope you’ll come along, grab a drink, and join us for an open Byline Times-style discussion in the round.
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