Blog

In this article, Sharon Hartles reflects upon the significant impacts of avoidable harms that have been perpetuated for decades as a result of medical negligence on behalf of the regulator (Committee on Safety of Medicines) that advised the UK Licensing Authority on the safety of medicines and the manufacturer of Epilim (Sanofi). Sharon Hartles is a member of the Open University’s Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative.

This week Dr's Lee John Curley, James Munro, Lara Frumkin and Jim Turner (all lecturers from the Open University) discuss their new research that explores the attitudes of legal professionals towards the current Scottish jury system and potential reform. The article was originall published on the Conversation on the 25th of May 2021. Original article can be found here: https://theconversation.com/reforming-scotlands-unique-jury-system-why-we-need-to-listen-to-lawyers-155687.

In this article, Sharon Hartles critically discusses how the Vagrancy Act 1824 has been implemented to target and criminalise the most vulnerable members of society. In doing so, she sheds light on why almost 200 years after its enactment, this piece of legislation must be repealed. Sharon Hartles is a member of the Open University’s Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative.

In this weeks blog, Dr David Scott, senior lecturer in Criminology at the Open University, discusses the history of prisons. If interested in this topic, why not listen to Dr David Scott on the BBC Radio 4 Programme ‘Prison Break’ (episode 4, How did it come to this?) on May 14th, 2021.

Andy Diaper is an independent social researcher. He works with vulnerable and excluded people within the community. His main research interests are groups that are excluded, harmed, and criminalised, including indigenous populations. His most recent blog at how cultural genocide has led to the Australian indigenous population to be viewed as a ‘criminal other’.

This blog from Professor Joe Sim of Liverpool John Moores University and Professor Steve Tombs of The Open University was also published by the Centre for the Study of Crime, Criminalisation and Social Exclusion: https://ccseljmu.wordpress.com/ 

This week Laura Kelly-Corless, University of Central Lancashire, and Daniel McCulloch, The Open University, write about the d/Deaf prisoner experience. This article has been republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

In this article, Sharon Hartles critically discusses the harmful impacts of mesh medical devices against the backdrop of disempowerment, denial and half-truths. Sharon Hartles was awarded an MA in Crime and Justice (with distinction) from The Open University and is a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative.  

The School of Psychology and Counselling at the Open University will launch its new School research centre on Tuesday 6th July. Please find more information on this here.

In todays blog, Dr. David Scott, The Open University, and Prof. Joe Sim, Liverpool John Moores University, reflect upon COVID-19, Prisons and Legal Activisim.