Justice

In this episode, we hear from Dame Vera Baird about how to harness momentum following the publication of the Women’s Justice Board report in March. Dame Vera explains why she is optimistic for the future of women’s justice and calls for a co-ordinated approach involving multiple government departments and the commitment of key ministers to take reforms forward. In this discussion, Edwina and Vera talk about the urgent need to address the root causes of women's involvement in the justice system, such as domestic and sexual abuse. Vera describes how a future Women's Justice Board should be set up in a similar way to the Youth Justice Board - one which is permanently in place and has its own statutory responsibilities for shaping the approach of the criminal justice system to women - in exactly the same way that the YJB has successfully done. Dame Vera reflects on her extensive career working in criminal justice with roles including Victims’ Commissioner, Solicitor General and Police &am