Institutional racism and the criminal justice system

This event has been organised by the Oxford Law Faculty and the Oxford Law Black Alumni Network (OLBA Network) to mark Stephen Lawrence Day 2021. In it, our panellists will give a short talk on the event theme, Institutional racism and the criminal justice system, drawing on their work in this field. There will then be an opportunity for discussion and Q&A. 

This event is complemented by an interview on the same topic with the Rt Hon David Lammy MP, conducted by BCL students Samuel Bailey and Josiah Senu, which will be released via the Law Faculty’s YouTube channel on Stephen Lawrence Day (22 April 2021).

Panellists

Matthew Ryder QC

Matthew Ryder was born in London to a Jamaican mother and English father. He attended his local comprehensive school before reading law at Cambridge and qualifying at both the English and New York Bar. He has been a barrister since 1992, a part-time criminal judge since 2009, and a QC since 2010. His practice involves human rights, criminal and data law and he has been highly recognised in those areas by the leading law directories for many years. His clients have included the family of Stephen Lawrence, journalists working with Edward Snowden, political leaders and activists. He was the legal member of the advisory board to the Lammy Review. Between 2016 and 2018 Matthew took 2 years away from his practice to take up an appointment as the Deputy Mayor of London, overseeing social integration, social mobility and community engagement. Outside of his practice, he has run a charity basketball tournament; chaired the Black Cultural Archive in Brixton (where he lives); and is on the Board of the Scott Trust, which owns the Guardian Media Group. He is also currently developing a ‘Black Oxbridge’ bursary in conjunction with the writer, Afua Hirsch.

Dr Eddie Bruce-Jones

Dr Bruce-Jones is Deputy Dean of the School of Law and Head of the Department of Law at Birkbeck College, University of London. In 2020, he was the William and Patricia Kleh Visiting Professor of International Law at Boston University. Dr Bruce-Jones is an Associate Academic Fellow of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and a Member of the New York State Bar. He is the author of Race in the Shadow of Law: State Violence in Contemporary Europe and co-author of two forthcoming textbooks on equality law. His research has been published in the Columbia Human Rights Law Review, the UCLA Journal of International and Foreign Affairs, and Race & Class. Dr Bruce-Jones is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Law. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Institute for Race Relations (London) and the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (London), and the Advisory Boards of the Centre for Intersectional Justice (Berlin) and the National Discrimination and Racism Monitor (Berlin).

Chairs

Seun Matiluko

Seun is a journalist, current BCL student and researcher in race, law and human rights. She is also the producer and host of the ‘Hello From Britain!’ podcast, a podcast dedicated to shining a light on histories of Black women in Britain.

Sfiso Benard Nxumalo

Sfiso is a Chevening Scholar reading for the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree programme at the University of Oxford. His interests include constitutional law, administrative law, property law, commercial law, history and critical race theory. Prior to reading for the BCL, he did his legal traineeship at Bowmans Inc and was a law clerk for Justices Majiedt and Khampepe for a period of 18 months.