People’s justice is on the rise and why we should all be grateful

As she clutched a photo of her dead “mummy”, Brenda Doherty struggled to hold back the tears as she faced the TV cameras following the publication of the Covid Inquiry’s first report.

“We have been vindicated in our fight for an inquiry,” she said, surrounded by those who campaigned tirelessly for a statutory inquiry. “This cannot and will not be another report that gathers dust because our loved ones are worth so much more than that.”

Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK campaigned and lobbied tirelessly for a public inquiry into the failings that saw more than 200,000 people die in the UK during the pandemic. At the heart of their successful campaign, and others that have come to the fore recently, is communication and an adept use of the media to create a body of pressure that becomes so great that the government or corporate bodies eventually cave in. Entwined with this is constant lobbying of those in power to get their voices heard.

I am privileged to have worked closely with the lawyers for the Covid bereaved and the group themselves doing their legal PR over the past couple of years. Last week saw the culmination of their gargantuan efforts.

To lobby the state to investigate their own failings is no mean feat. But ‘people’s justice’ is becoming more and more prevalent as the David’s fell the Goliath’s of government and big business.

Just take the announcement for a Hillsborough Law in the King’s Speech, another campaign Black Letter Communications is proud to have been involved in. The families of the 97 killed as a result of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 had to endure 27 years of fighting to get their cases heard in court and another eight to get a commitment of a Hillsborough Law – which legislates for a duty to tell the truth at inquiries and ensures fair legal funding for the bereaved.

This should change the playing field for groups fighting for justice. One for the need for public bodies and officials to tell the truth and stop hiding behind the culture of denial seen at other inquiries such as Grenfell and the Post Office inquiries. The second is almost as important – to ensure legal funding. For groups campaigning for justice, fighting government is a Herculean task in itself. But one quandary many groups face is how to fund their campaign? It generally falls to lawyers willing to provide their services pro bono to support them, and these are unsurprisingly difficult to come by. To have funding at the outset is a game changer.

Along with Hillsborough Law, a Martyn’s Law was also promised in the King’s Speech. This was the brainchild of Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett was murdered in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack. The venue had been under no legal duty to provide a plan in case of a terror attack but a new law will legislate for this.

What are the consistent factors in all of these cases? Firstly, an indomitable, never say die attitude to reveal the truth and get justice. Secondly, an ability to keep knocking on the doors of those in power, even when they are slammed firmly in their faces. Finally, and this is where good old fashioned litigation PR tactics come in.

Litigation PR is by far my favourite part of the job. Put pressure on the other side while controlling the narrative by releasing stories or statements at the right moment. It’s fair to say that none of the above campaigns would have succeeded without some form of pressure from the media. Look at the Post Office Inquiry. It took an ITV drama to properly bring the horrendous miscarriage of justice to the public conscience. It’s why having a free press as a pillar of democracy is so important. Without it none of the families who have suffered for so long would have received justice.

While I can sing the praises of the press, PR and lawyers let’s leave this on a thought for those who really matter, the campaigners who refused to give up. These are people who were catapulted into the public eye because they were left bereaved by a high-profile tragedy. Through their pain they created a legacy to ensure future generations will not have to fight so hard to get people’s justice. They deserve the gratitude of us all.