The CJA holds regular events which give members and other organisations in the criminal justice sector the opportunity to discuss challenges, hear new ideas, support one another, and meet key policy makers. Find out more about becoming a member.
Upcoming events
Check back soon for our 2024/5 event schedule
Past events
Racial disparity expert group meeting, Friday 30 June 2023
This group acts as an advisory group for the CJA’s public sector equality duty (PSED) project.
Learn moreOnline report launch: Beyond a numbers game, Monday 5 June 2023
Beyond a numbers game is the result of a three-year examination of racial diversity and inclusion across the criminal justice system. The report comes in the wake of significant reports and reviews including the Macpherson Report, the Lammy Review, and the Casey Review, highlighting the presence of racism and its harmful impact on racially minoritised staff and those directly impacted by the system.
Key speakers at the launch event included:
- Abimbola Johnson, prominent barrister and Chair of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board for the Police Race Action Plan
- Avtar Singh, HM Inspector of Probation
- Sarah Coccia, Executive Director of South Public Sector Prisons – HMPPS
CJA Symposium: Improving Trust in the Criminal Justice System and Research, 3 March 2023
In March, the CJA, along with its partner University of Westminster, held its first academic symposium on the theme of improving trust in the criminal justice system and research. Over 100 delegates were in attendance, including academics, voluntary sector practitioners, statutory bodies, campaigners, people with lived experience and students from across the UK.
Click here to read a blog about the eventCelebrating Lived Experience Leadership, 20 April 2022
We launched our ELEVATE CJS lived experience leadership programme with a special evening event at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton. We celebrated with a food and drinks reception in the Upstairs Bar, as well as a screening of a short film ‘Those closest to the problem are closest to the solution’ followed by a panel discussion with lived experience leaders from the UK and US.
How can we improve mental health in the criminal justice system?
At this Members Meeting, we welcomed a panel of experts to discuss how we can improve mental health in the criminal justice system. Watch the video below or read a blog summarising the key insights on improving mental health. We also heard from Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons, about his goals and priorities for the next five years. Read our blog highlighting the key points from Charlie Taylor’s keynote speech.
Watch videoThe role and future of policing
At this Members Meeting, an expert panel and members discussed the role of policing, how it should evolve over the next 20 years and how the legitimacy of the police could be strengthened. Watch the video or read a blog summarising the discussion.
Watch videoBuilding a diverse criminal justice workforce
At this event held in partnership with the Ministry of Justice, we welcomed government ministers and experts from across the system to discuss how we can build a more diverse criminal justice workforce. Justice secretary Robert Buckland and shadow justice secretary David Lammy provided opening remarks. We also wrote a blog summarising the key insights from the event.
Watch videoTackling race disparity in the criminal justice system
At this Members Meeting, justice minister Alex Chalk MP discussed the government’s response to the Lammy Review. This was followed by a panel of experts who set out how we can tackle race disparity in the criminal justice system.
Watch video