Events
The Centre holds a variety events, from practice sharing workshops to policy report launches, across our diverse areas of work. Never miss an invite, and sign up to one of our newsletters.
You can also watch all our past event recordings over on our YouTube channel.
Finding common ground on crime and punishment during Party Conference season
If you are attending the party conferences this year, make sure you drop by Common Ground Justice Project’s events, Breaking Through the Noise. Through engaging with people across political and social divides, this initiative, which the Centre is currently incubating, seeks to uncover common ground on crime and justice so we can move towards a more thoughtful, modern justice system fit for the 21st century.
Our events will bring together political commentators, MPs, and third sector representatives to discuss how we can break through the polarised debate on crime and punishment. Look out for our event in the party conference brochure for further details, and join us for what promises to be thought-provoking and inspiring discussions.
Reform - Birmingham - Friday, September 5, 2025 - 11:00-12:30
Liberal Democrats - Bournemouth - Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 13:00-14:00
Greens - Bournemouth - Saturday, October 4, 2025 - 9:00-10:00
Conservatives - Manchester - Wednesday, October 8, 2025 - 10:30-12:00
The Centre will also be running an event at the Labour Party Conference, alongside the Society of Labour Lawyers and Revolving Doors, to explore how to improve family and criminal court approaches to domestic abuse. Come visit us Monday 29th September at 12.30pm in the Revolution Bar, Albert Dock.
Expert Voices: Family Judges writing to children
Join us for our next expert voices event on the 17th September from 13.00-14.00 where we will explore the value and practice of family judges writing to children involved in family court proceedings.
Judicial letters are one form of participation that children can have with court proceedings that involve them and their family. Writing to children at the centre of proceedings is a key way to enable them to feel seen and heard, and can support children to understand what the family court has decided in relation to their family and why. Yet whilst the benefit of judges communicating with children through writing to them has long been recognised, it hasn’t often been achieved. In February 2025, in order to better equip judges to do this, the President of the Family Division, the Rt Hon. Sir Andrew McFarlane, published a toolkit for family judges to support them in writing to children- a resource we will explore in this event.
We are delighted to be joined by experts: Jude Eyre, Nuffield Family Justice Observatory Associate Director (Strategy and Delivery), who will be providing an overview of the toolkit, and His Honour Judge Entwistle and Her Honour Judge Carole Burgher who will share their experience of this practice. The event will be chaired by our Head of Family Justice Practice, Sophie Carter, and will include a Q&A session. Sign up to attend here- we hope you can join us.