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Justice, law and human rights

Venezuela, protest and the changing face of repression
by Simone da Silva Ribeiro Gomes  |  5th February 2026

Simone da Silva Ribeiro Gomes, author of 'Latin American Activism and Routine Violence in the 21st Century', argues that across Latin America, activism is shaped not by isolated bursts of repression but by permanent, routine violence from both state and non-state actors, including paramilitaries and criminal organisations, which profoundly constrains collective action.…Read more

POLICY BRIEFING: Creative Value Chains Copyright and Beyond for a Better Value Distribution
by Yaniv Benhamou  |  2nd February 2026

In this policy briefing, Yaniv Benhamou, author of 'Creative Value Chains', warns that digital platforms drain value from the creative ecosystem and calls for reforms to ensure fairer rewards for all contributors.…Read more

Children told to ‘Shut up’: Why listening still fails in practice
by Brenda Herbert  |  23rd January 2026

Brenda Herbert, author of 'The Everyday Lives of Children Who Have Experienced Domestic Abuse', argues that repealing the presumption of parental contact is a vital step toward protecting children from domestic abuse by challenging patriarchal systems that silence children’s voices and prioritise abusive fathers’ rights over children’s safety.…Read more

From Venezuela to the tech and climate crises: The 21st century’s geopolitical meltdown

Rafe McGregor, author of 'Reducing Political Violence', argues that unprecedented global instability in the 21st century stems from the combined, accelerating crises of eroding political norms, rapid digital transformation, and unaddressed climate change.…Read more

PODCAST: Why freedom movements fail
by Peter Hain  |  19th January 2026

In this Transforming Society podcast episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Lord Peter Hain about why liberation and independence movements are so often betrayed when their leaders get into power.…Read more

Reimagining child protection for children affected by exploitation
by Anna Skeels and Patricia Hynes  |  13th January 2026

Anna Skeels and Patricia Hynes, authors of 'Human Trafficking of Children and Young People', suggest that the UK’s hostile treatment of trafficked and migrant children undermines their rights and recovery, demanding recognition of exploitation as a form of child abuse.…Read more

The local bobby: How police and crime commissioners failed local policing
by John Bahadur Lamb  |  12th January 2026

John Bahadur Lamb, co-editor of '50 Facts Everyone Should Know About the Police', argues that nostalgic, place-based local policing in England and Wales has been eroded over time and that Police and Crime Commissioners have failed to restore it, adding cost and politicisation without rebuilding public trust.…Read more

The stories that defined 2025
by Bristol University Press and Policy Press  |  23rd December 2025

From Bristol University Press and Policy Press, Transforming Society shares the powerful stories rooted in our research, showing how ideas can shape a fairer, better society.…Read more

Bristol Refugee Rights: Supporting refugees and asylum seekers through rising hostility

Bristol Refugee Rights supports thousands of refugees and asylum seekers each year, helping them survive hostile immigration policies, harmful media narratives and rising anti-migrant hostility while rebuilding their lives with dignity and support.…Read more

Will artificial intelligence replace lawyers?
by Ray Brescia  |  10th December 2025

Ray Brescia, author of 'Lawyer 3.0', suggests that artificial intelligence won’t replace lawyers so much as force the profession to rethink its role by combining technology with human judgment, empathy and advocacy to better solve clients’ legal problems and close the access-to-justice gap.…Read more