Blog

This study is concerned with the roots of Everton Football Club and, given their shared heritage, Liverpool Football Club. It concerns a dimension to the history of both clubs that has been largely overlooked but should be considered in light of Liverpool’s ongoing civic reckoning with its historic slave trade connection. The research carried out suggests that the foundation period of professional football on Merseyside was marked by the patronage of well-known figures in Liverpool society who, directly or indirectly, profited from the exploitation of slavery and other forms of coerced labour.

In this article, Sharon Hartles highlights the high-profile legal battle involving numerous Primodos-affected claimants against pharmaceutical companies and the government. The court ruled against the claimants, dismissing their claims related to hormone pregnancy tests and foetal harm. This decision led to disappointment and criticism from advocates, MPs, and academics involved in the Primodos scandal. Sharon Hartles is affiliated with the Risky Hormones research project, which is an international collaboration in partnership with patient groups. Additionally, she is a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative at the Open University.

In this article, Sharon Hartles explores the Supreme Court of India's decision to dismiss the long-standing legal battle over the Bhopal disaster settlement, marking a crucial moment in the pursuit of justice. As the 40th anniversary fast approaches, this preventable tragedy serves as a reminder of the importance of human lives over profit. Sharon Hartles is a member of the Open University’s Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative and is a member of the British Society of Criminology.

A Scottish pilot will see rape trials conducted without juries in what could set a dangerous precedent. In this article Dr Lee John Curley and Dr James Munro (both lecturers in Psychology at the Open University) discuss rape myths and judge only trials.  This article was initially published in the Conversation here: https://theconversation.com/jurors-who-believe-rape-myths-contribute-to-dismal-conviction-rates-but-judge-only-trials-wont-solve-the-problem-205066

In this article, Sharon Hartles presents evidence that supports the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy Tests (ACDHPT) in their legal action against the British government and Bayer, a multinational pharmaceutical company. Despite the obstacles faced by the Primodos-affected families, they continue to fight for justice. Sharon Hartles is affiliated with the Risky Hormones research project, which is an international collaboration in partnership with patient groups. Additionally, she is a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative at the Open University.

“Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying.” Lucy Siegle, British journalist. The harms of fast fashion came into the public spotlight in 2013, when a ready-made garment (RMG) factory in Bangladesh collapsed. Next month marks the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse that occurred on the 24th of April 2013.

In this short article Dr David Scott questions, from a penal abolitionist perspective, whether the criminal law can be effectively deployed to prevent climate catastrophe.  In so doing he questions the goals of influential pressure group Stop Ecocide International and highlights the importance of the recent book Ecocide by Professor David Whyte, which calls for ordinary people all around the world to directly challenge corporate power.

 The FIFA World Cup 2022 is almost upon us and the eyes of the world will be on Qatar during the unusually scheduled event to be played between 20th November and 18th December. For one sportswear company, adidas, the starting gun for the tournament sounded back in March 2022 with the launch of their Qatar World Cup ball called Al Rihla. This piece is written by dr Peter Kennedy and dr David Kennedy.

In the final of four short articles, David Scott focuses on ethics and the interpretation of history, working towards the uncovering of evidence of social murder and why naming is such an important part of remembrance.

In the third of four short articles, David Scott reflects upon the inaugural remembrance walk and its dual goals of raising awareness and challenging the dominant narrative of the 1826 weavers uprising.