Commons Law CIC and the Migrants' Law Project (part of Asylum Aid) have undertaken research about the criminalisation of young people seeking asylum.

The research found that young people seeking asylum in the UK are often particularly vulnerable due to their life experiences before, during, and after migration. Systems of accommodation and support in the UK, provided by local authorities and the Home Office, increase this vulnerability. Behaviours that arise from this increased vulnerability (such as offending behaviours) are surveilled and disciplined through contact with the police. Some young people are criminalised for minor offences, however, due to their immigration status, the consequences of criminalisation are potentially greater for them than for other young people. Young people vulnerable to exploitation, by way of trafficking or modern slavery, are not always protected from being criminalised.

This report makes use of casework data, interviews, and a review of the literature to present a comprehensive study into why some young people seeking asylum are in touch with the criminal justice system - and makes recommendations to reduce and prevent criminalisation. A second report (to be published shortly) seeks to understand the experiences of young people within the criminal justice system and the outcomes.

Read the executive summary and the full report.

On 24 November 2022, given the increasing criminalisation of political activism in the UK, Commons hosted a roundtable event to talk through the legal and social issues connected to criminal cases and what more can be done to support vulnerable communities.

On Wednesday, 27 April 2022, Commons, the criminal law firm for social justice, hosted an exclusive online panel event discussing how holistic defence has a key role to play in the future of the UK criminal justice system.

The event was chaired by Sashy Nathan, co-founder of Commons and featured:

- Justine Olderman, Executive Director of the Bronx Defenders Service
- Luke Clements, Cerebra Professor of Law at Leeds University
- Sue James, CEO of the Legal Action Group
- Chris Blewitt, Crisis Navigator at Commons

In July 2016, in her first address as Prime Minister, Theresa May stood on the steps of Downing Street and promised to address racial and social inequalities in Britain.

In 2001 Major Charles Ingram, a contestant on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’, was said to have cheated his way to the top prize of £1m by relying on coughs from an accomplice in the audience indicating the correct answers.

An allegation of fare evasion is one of the most common interactions many people have with the criminal justice system.

Our first community criminal justice training event took place on 22nd November, and it turned out to be a thought provoking and inspiring morning.

On 29 January 1993, the shadow home secretary stated “we should be tough on crime and tough on the underlying causes of crime.”

For our first Commons Sense we thought we would shine our (rechargeable) battery operated torch of truth on an under reported, little discussed issue in the criminal justice system; disclosure.