Preventing Harm in Court: Youth Culture Evidence Conference

More Harm than Good

I’m really looking forward to speaking at this excellent one-day conference on the topic of:

When Youth Culture Is Evidence: Preventing Harm in the Court Room

A morning session for the lawyers: when youth culture is used as prosecution evidence, is it being properly challenged? This session examines the admissibility and weight of police “expert” gang evidence and drill music in light of recent Court of Appeal developments. It will focus on practical defence strategies to use expertise, challenge expertise, address racial bias, and ensure fairer, safer outcomes.

Date: 30th June 2026
Time: 9.15am – 5pm
Venue: King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS

https://lnkd.in/eGAaikNQ

Tickets – Individual Members: Free (contact info@yjlc for your free ticket)
Tickets – Member Organisations: First 2 tickets free – subsequent tickets £25 (Contact info@yjlc.uk for your members’ discount code)
Tickets Non YJLC Members: £50

Achieve better, fairer, more effective results – improving outcomes for children and, in turn, the whole community.
Across a programme of plenary and breakout sessions, you’ll gain practical tools to strengthen your day-to-day practice, deepen your technical knowledge, and hear about emerging innovation across youth justice. The day is designed to be both informative and inspiring, with opportunities to reflect, share ideas, and connect with colleagues from across the sector.
Lunch, refreshments, and networking opportunities will be provided.

YJLC Summit 2026 – Speakers include:
Jake Richards MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sentencing, Youth Justice
Dr Patrick Williams Custodian, Harm to Healing
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge Centre for Child, Adolescent and Family Research
Kirsty Brimelow KC Doughty Street Chambers and Chair of Bar Council 2026
Mark Evans President, The Law Society
Keir Monteith KC Garden Court Chambers
Prof Clive Stafford-Smith Founder of the Justice League, lawyer and author
Raju Bhatt Bhatt Murphy Solicitors
Gayle Edwards Co-founder, Empathy Souls
Dr Miranda Bevan Lecturer in Law, King’s College London
Ciaran Thapar Expert witness and Director of public affairs and communications, Youth Endowment Fund
Dr Ron Dodzro, Clinical Psychologist, Psychologists The Streets Deserve (PTSD)
Dr Vicky Kemp Principal Research Fellow, School of Law, Nottingham University
Nick Jeffreys Head of Change – Youth Justice, Youth Endowment Fund
Emily Maw Adjunct Associate Professor, Tulane University Law School
Angus Jones Team Leader Children and Young Adults, HM Inspectorate of Prisons
Mel Stooks, Partner and Supervising Solicitor, GT Stewart Solicitors & Advocates
Bami Jolaoso Senior Practice Officer, Centre for Justice Innovation
Aika Stephenson Legal Director, Just for Kids Law
Ruth McGregor Hamann Senior Youth Justice Lawyer, YJLC