#Christmas I once met a man who’d killed someone, when he was still very young. He wasn’t released from prison until he was in his fifties, many years beyond his tariff. The problem was, prison exacerbated his anger.
He was, it seemed, a hopeless case. Parole hearings came and went, and he was adjudged to be a danger
That he was released at all was a miracle. But something happened. He started to stitch. The charity that enabled him to do this was @finecellwork
‘Michael’ (not his real name) explained why. ‘You can’t stitch when you’re angry.’ @finecellwork gave him that precious chance to demonstrate he could change.
It did more than that. His work, in tapestry, was of the highest order. By the time he was released examples of his skill were to be found in Palaces, and Museums.
He found pride, and self worth for the first time in his life. The money @finecellwork paid him, not much owing to HO rules, he donated to victims’ charities. He could not undo the great wrong he had done, but he could become a better man.
I urge you to support @finecellwork - you will help change someone for the better. You can help prisoners become the people they were meant to be.
Many great artists, such as @aiweiwei1 and designers have supported @finecellwork but ultimately without our staff and volunteers we would achieve nothing. If you can buy a cushion, or donate you might save another ‘Michael’
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In the 1790s an authoritarian Government led by Pitt the Younger brought a series of treason trials against radicals who were accused of ‘Jacobinism’. Mild mannered individuals faced a grisly public execution.
Some defended themselves ably and well, but for the majority their deliverance depended on Thomas Erskine and his junior, Vicary Gibbs.
Erskine forfeited his office as personal attorney to the Prince of Wales to defend these so called traitors. He asserted his independence, and thus the independence of the Bar.
The Bar is a very generous place. A few weeks ago I came to be in a case, pro bono. My junior had no ego. It was a case of some considerable legal importance, raising huge issues of principle. He is a superb lawyer, and a powerful advocate, yet he warmly welcomed me.
Then I contacted another junior, who has a towering reputation in this recondite area of law. He joined our team, pro bono, with alacrity. We all worked as a team. We supported each other, and discussed contentious issues re strategy with mutual respect.
Our wonderful instructing solicitor was delighted by our esprit de corps. Eventually, our pro bono representation was found to be remunerable, but we had all been prepared to work for nothing. We welcomed the opportunity to use what talent we had in defence of a worthy client.
I was in CACD the other day. The usual. What seemed a pretty obvious and just outcome, almost became a Swiftian nightmare - in which ‘words [ were ]multiplied for the purpose, that white is black, and black is white.’ (Thread)
Then again, I couldn’t have done it without the power of example. When we fight for the liberty of the subject, we have a rich lineage of what advocates have done before us.