A group of parents and legal professionals are campaigning to stop a law that they say is putting innocent young people in prison for crimes they did not commit. This week NOVA students were able to meet two of the campaigners.
Under UK criminal law when a violent
crime is committed the main suspect can be convicted but so can those
people who the court says have encouraged that person. This ancient law
is called joint enterprise and in recent years it has been used to fight
gang violence, with the result that many, mainly young people, are
facing long prison sentences for crimes that they did not have a direct
hand in.
 |
| Campaigners from Jengba, standing right, talk to students at NOVA about how they are trying to change a law that is sending innocent young people to prison. |
Concern about how the law of joint
enterprise is being used by the criminal justice system is growing, and a
group of families and legal professionals have established the Joint
Enterprise Not Guilty By Association (Jengba) group to campaign for the
law to be changed and on behalf of those who have been convicted as a
result of it.
Jengba
recently became neighbours with NOVA New Opportunities in the office
space both occupy in Portobello North Kensington. This was an
opportunity for NOVA students and clients to find out more about joint
enterprise and Jengba. Last Monday, Moira Conway, a literacy tutor at
NOVA, organised a special presentation by two leading members of Jengba
to talk about the work they do and their personal experience of this
controversial law.
Moira said: “The passion and commitment
of these two women really shone through. Several students who attended
the event had personal experience of young people affected by this
issue.
“All of us could appreciate the
importance of increasing awareness about joint enterprise and of helping
young people understand the risks under the current law.”
NOVA regularly organises workshops and
events for students and clients that bring their local community alive
and help raise awareness and practical knowledge. You can receive
regular updates about NOVA events at NOVA’s Facebook page or visit our website.
For more information about Jengba’s campaign go to http://www.jointenterprise.co/
Read more about this area of the law here.
