The site is run by Jon Robins (@JusticeGap). Jon is a journalist and has written about the law and justice for the national papers and specialist press for 15 years. Jon launched the www.thejusticegap.com in 2011.
Jon has written a number of books including Guilty Until Proven Innocent: the crisis in our justice system (Biteback, 2018); The first miscarriage of justice: the amazing & unreported case of Tony Stock (Waterside 2014); The Justice Gap: Whatever happened to legal aid? (Legal Action Group, 2009 – with Steve Hynes) and People Power: how to run a campaign and make a difference in your community (Daily Telegraph/ LawPack, 2008).
Jon is a visiting lecturer at Winchester University in the journalism and criminology departments. He was a visiting senior fellow in access to justice at the University of Lincoln and a patron of Hackney Community Law Centre.
Jon won the Bar Council’s legal reporter of the year award in 2015. He previously won the award in 2005.
Jon is editor.
Will Bordell is commissioning editor. Will is a journalist and writes for the Justice Gap.
Web site development: Chris Palmer and Andrew Stocks.
JusticeGap reporters/ commissioning editors: If you are interested in writing/ commissioning/ helping, email Jon.
The Justice Gap… and what it means
‘The ‘Justice Gap’ refers to the increasing section of the public too poor to afford a lawyer and not poor enough to qualify for legal aid. At the heart of any notion of a decent society is not only that we have rights and protections under the law but that we can enforce those rights and rely upon those protections if needed.’
Michael Mansfield QC
‘For those concerned with the law and justice – as well as the difference between the two – www.thejusticegap.com is increasingly essential.’
David Jessel (Rough Justice, Trial & Error)
What we are about
- The Justice Gap is an online magazine about the law and justice aimed at the public. We launched on October 6th 2011.
- We are about the law as it relates to you.
- We are about journalism and shining a light on those parts of the justice system that don’t often see the light of day in the mainstream media.
- We are interested in the broad sweep of the law: human rights, the criminal justice system, family, employment through to consumer issues. In other words, all aspects of the law that relate to you in your day-to-day life.
What we are not about
- We are not lawyers. The site is run by journalists.
- This is not a lawyers’ discussion group. We run articles by lawyers and professionals involved with the law; and we run articles by people who are neither but who have views on the effectiveness or otherwise of our legal system.
- We don’t engage in correspondence about individual cases. Any contributions will be run at the editor’s discretion. All comments are moderated.
- We don’t claim to have either the right skills or resources to assist people with their individual legal actions. Sorry.
- Any information about the law on our site is not a substitute for legal advice (as is explained in our terms and conditions) but it is to illuminate legal issues.
Proof Magazine
Find out more about our magazine HERE
Guardian Legal Network
The JusticeGap is part of the Guardian Legal Network which ‘brings together the best blogs and sites that cover legal affairs and developments from around the world. The network connects sites that provide high-quality news, comment, analysis, blogs and multimedia’.
Halsbury legal award
The JusticeGap won the legal journalism category at the inaugural Halsbury Legal Awards – read more HERE. The awards were set up as ‘a celebration of excellence in the law and great contribution to the legal sector’.
Unlocking detention
Unlocking Detention is a partnership with Right to Remain, Detention Action and the Justice Gap. The project is run by Detention Forum, a network of organisations working together to challenge the UK’s use of detention.
