Law Week Festival

This event has now sold out. 

Andy West, author of A Life Inside (‘Authentic, fascinating and deeply moving.’ Terry Waite), and Lucia Osborne-Crowley, author of The Lasting Harm (‘Will make you think about trauma in a new light’ EVENING STANDARD) bring profound insights into the human experience of our criminal justice system as they discuss to what extent it is working for both perpetrators of crime and their victims.

Andy West’s father and brother were in prison, and he now works with prisoners exploring the philosophical and emotional realities of the life within the prison system. Osborne-Crowley was the victim of a serious crime as a teenager, and throughout her work she examines the enduring impact of trauma on the body and mind of the victims of crime.

Their discussion promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of suffering, resilience, and the complex paths toward healing, forgiveness and whether our criminal justice and prison systems are failing both those who have committed crimes and those who are the victims of them, and the wider reaching effects of this on their children and families.

The talk will offer attendees a unique opportunity to engage with two powerful voices in contemporary literature.

Before and after the talk there will be an opportunity to view the artwork Cell Quilt and to purchase items produced by Fine Cell Work, a charity that provides educational, and employment opportunities that prepare prisoners to successfully reintegrate into the community after release.

Timings: 
7.30pm – 9.00pm

Tickets:
Adults £12
Concessions* £6
* Concessions include under 19s, students, unemployed and those in receipt of state benefits

Cell Quilt depicts the aerial view of a life-size version of a two-man prison cell in HMP Bullingdon. It is an astonishing object, exact to the last detail, measuring eleven feet by eight feet, recreating the tiny space in which two men are confined, in some cases, up to 23 hours a day, eating, reading, washing, and using the toilet in each other’s company.

Cell Quilt is one of Fine Cell Work’s projects – a charity that provides educational and employment opportunities to prepare prisoners to successfully reintegrate into the community after release. They are the only British charity and social enterprise providing earned income for prisoners on such a wide scale, supporting more than 8,000 prisoners over the past 27 years.

Timing:
Cathedral opening hours, click here for more information.

Admission:
Entry is included with your annual pass. You can purchase an annual pass upon arrival to the cathedral or online here, where you’ll save £1 per person.

An annual service of celebration of all those who work in Law and Order. The service is preceded by the procession down High Street from Law Court. Everyone is welcome to the service.

Photo credit: Joe Low