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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 22/07/2026

Are you a lawyer, law student, or legal professional interested in getting involved? Join our next online session to find out how you can support the campaign to modernise abortion law in Scotland. 📅Tuesday, 28th July, 12:00-13:00 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lawyers-fo...

All slides have logos of Let’s Change the Act and Lawmanity

Text reads: ABORTION IS HEALTHCARE – SO WHY IS IT STILL A CRIME IN SCOTLAND?

Text reads: Under the current law in Scotland,
women have no legal right to
end a pregnancy.
Scotland’s abortion law tightly controls
how, where, and when abortion care can
be accessed – including, for example,
the requirement that two doctors
authorise the procedure.
Control over abortion law was devolved
to the Scottish Parliament in 2016,
yet Scotland is now the only part of the UK
where women remain vulnerable
to criminalisation.

Text reads: There are no other medical conditions
for which criminal law dictates exactly
who may provide treatment,
where treatment may occur,
and what authorisations
must first be obtained.
In every other area of healthcare,
regulation is shaped by
clinical evidence,
professional standards,
and evolving best practice.
There is no medical justification
for treating abortion differently.

Text reads: CALLING LAWYERS, LAW STUDENTS,
AND LEGAL PROFESSIONALS:
Join Lawyers for Let’s Change the Act
and support a legal framework that
reflects contemporary healthcare practices,
human rights standards, and the
fundamental right to bodily autonomy.
Come along to our next online session
and find out how you can get involved
in the campaign to modernise
abortion law in Scotland.
Tuesday, 28th July – 12:00-13:00

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 09/07/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Pheona Matovu – Radiant and Brighter co-founder – on how law often reinforces exclusion, and the importance of designing systems with those most affected by them. Swipe to read some of Pheona’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “When people are seeking asylum, they are expected to go to court to present their case because the law stipulates that they have to present a case. But … they are already operating from a position of being disempowered just by putting them in a position where they have to express themselves by law rather than express themselves by the experiences that they have. … We should be dealing with them on the basis of humanity and dignity.”

(3) “We must consider that when these laws were put in place, perhaps the people that should have been in the rooms were not in the rooms. … If the very people that have to adhere to the law are not in the room, what is being designed and who is it being designed for and for what?”

(5) “We can do different. We can see different. We can design different.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 02/07/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Sandy Brindley on three decades of campaigning for survivors of sexual violence, the progress that has been made, and the barriers that still stand in the way of justice. Swipe to read some of Sandy’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “I still remember really vividly the first woman that I supported in court when she was giving evidence in a rape trial … I was so shocked at how she was treated. I actually couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t just the questions. The demeanour of the defence lawyer was almost mocking and so demeaning towards her. Here is a woman who, this is devastating for her, it’s terrifying, going to give evidence in court – and we’re treating her with such a lack of humanity.”

(3) “The legal system really replicates the trauma of being raped because of the lack of control women have going through the criminal justice system. And the clear answer to that is: give complainers in rape trials as much control as possible. That’s difficult in an adversarial system, but where you have the potential for choices and agency, give those choices and agency.”

(4) “The way to make change really is relationships and finding common ground. I think we have built some really positive relationships with the Faculty of Advocates, with the Crown Office, with the Court Service, and really trying to work together and make things better, while still retaining enough of a critical edge to stand outside and criticise where it’s absolutely necessary.”

(5) “Your starting point is supporting and listening to survivors. That gives you the answers to what needs to happen, which then informs your trajectory of how you want to change the world.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 29/06/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Law, Exclusion, and Racial Justice, with Pheona Matovu Our final one-on-one guest interview for this first series is with Pheona Matovu – activist, researcher, and co-founder of award-winning social enterprise Radiant and Brighter 💫 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 25/06/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Fiona McPhail – human rights lawyer & lecturer – on what social justice lawyering looks like in practice and why legal success is not always measured by court victories. Swipe to read some of Fiona’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “An eviction for any person is an extremely stressful thing to contemplate … but for this particular group [appeal rights exhausted asylum seekers], it’s important to emphasise, contrary to what some people may think, they had no entitlement to statutory homeless services. So eviction for them more often than not would mean the streets.”

(3) “Notwithstanding the appeal process starting, SERCO announced in July 2019 that it was going to enforce its lock change policy. So we went from having a safe space to lock changes being imminent… That’s when the pressure really hit, because the four law firms involved went from the position of doing legal surgeries to having to raise urgent proceedings… In the space of three months or so there were 159 such cases raised.”

(5) “Have courage and conviction, and you do that by surrounding yourself with [social justice minded people] … We have to be in the best shape and the best state of mind to give the best fight that we can.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 23/06/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Law Reform and Sexual Violence, with Sandy Brindley Our next one-on-one guest interview is with Sandy Brindley: activist and former Rape Crisis Scotland Chief Executive 💜 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 18/06/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Satwat Rehman @satwatr.bsky.social, CEO of @opfs.org.uk, on the realities facing single parent families and what it would take to make justice more accessible. Swipe to read some of Satwat’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “Due to the fact that resources are so limited in so many schools, if they’ve got children who’ve got additional needs, or who may be playing out the impact of early life trauma… parents will tell us that sometimes they haven’t even got as far as walking back home and through the door before the school will phone to say: ‘We don’t have the staff, we don’t have the resource. It’s not safe. Can you come and pick your child up?’ What parent is going to say no?

(2 cont’d) …So there’s a fundamental there about that child’s not receiving an education… [But these are] parents who are also being expected to be looking full time for work, enter work, and increase their hours… and if they don’t meet [those conditions], they would be sanctioned.”

(5) “If [single parents] can actually experience [dignity, fairness, and equity] – not just in the law, [but in how] what’s in law can drive how society behaves – you’d begin to see the beginnings of justice… The law would recognise that there is more than one type of family, and they’re all equally valid, equally important – but actually require different things.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 16/06/2026

🎙️ New Episode: The Stop Lock Change Evictions Campaign, with Fiona McPhail We’re back with another one-on-one guest interview – this time with human rights lawyer and University of Glasgow lecturer Fiona McPhail 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 11/06/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Heather Fisken, Tressa Burke, & Louise Whitfield on the gap between rights on paper and lived reality, and the possibilities and limitations of using law to secure justice Swipe to read some of their insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) HEATHER: “From when you wake up in the morning until when you go to bed, and everything you do in between – whether that’s employment, learning, being a family member, trying to access services, socialise, use transport, use general services like shops – there’s discrimination in all of that. Which bit do you challenge? It’s exhausting.”

(5) LOUISE: “There is something about the way we litigate these cases where we are not bold enough [in our argumentation] … the challenges around things like the equality duty or the failure to consult are just about the process. Whereas I would want to try a more challenging legal case that basically said: ‘you cannot take this level of support away from people. That’s a breach of human rights.’ ”

(6) TRESSA: “Social justice for disabled people, if they were having all their legal rights realised and fulfilled, would be about having access to a meaningful life, a life of purpose and a life of choices. … Fairness, freedom, dignity, choices – and the same choices that non-disabled people take for granted.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 09/06/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Law, Poverty, and Political Power, with Satwat Rehman Our next one-on-one guest interview is with Satwat Rehman @satwatr.bsky.social : anti-poverty campaigner and One Parent Families Scotland @opfs.org.uk Chief Executive 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 04/06/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: @pinaraksu.bsky.social on hostile immigration policy, community lawyering, and what justice looks like for people seeking asylum and refuge Swipe to read some of Pinar’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “When the policy itself and the law itself becomes more violent over the years, that also demotivates people… It’s been five years, six years [since] the Right to Work campaign… we’re not seeing any [positive] changes, but we’re seeing actually, more hostility within the law that gives… the gateway to be implemented and become more violent.”

(3) “It’s important for the immigration lawyers to come to the community setting and to meet people, and also to hear their stories… and to explain in a way that it’s more accessible for people… create that connection, and people [feel] more comfortable: ‘oh, okay, I don’t have to be too scared when I go to see my lawyer.’”

(5) “For people to just be treated as a human being and to live a normal life where they don't have to go through many hurdles to prove themselves of who they are, where they don't have to continuously go to give evidence at the Home Office, or where they don't have to continuously fight for their rights within society… that would be justice.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 02/06/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Law and Justice for Disabled People We’re back with a special joint episode featuring three brilliant guests: Heather Fisken (Inclusion Scotland), Tressa Burke (Glasgow Disability Alliance), and Louise Whitfield (Liberty) ⚖️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 28/05/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Lily Greenan on VAWG and LGBT activism, the limits of legal reform, and the role of joy and collective action in creating social change. Swipe to read some of Lily’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

(2) “Women were not equal citizens, didn’t have the same rights as the accused… they could be subjected to any range of questions about any aspect of their lives: their relationship with the accused and what they’d been doing before, what they did after, who they spoke to, whether they’d been drinking, what they’d been wearing, what their underwear looked like. They were all considered valid questions. And they still are [considered valid].”

(3) “Sometimes the framing shifts, the legislation moves on, but the way in which it is implemented doesn’t because the system is still rooted in where it was 40 years ago.”

(4) “There are areas of our activist histories that are just not visible… we need to be able to learn what worked and what didn’t work. … The picnic in the park was all about: ‘they’re telling us we’re not real, we’re going to have a party.’ And finding ways to hold on to those bits of joy and successes is worth it. Other people need to know.”

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 26/05/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Migration Law and Justice in the UK, with Pinar Aksu Our next one-on-one guest interview is with Pinar Aksu (@pinaraksu.bsky.social): researcher, theatre-maker, and human rights campaigner ✨ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 21/05/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Nani Jansen Reventlow on confronting injustice at its roots, the limits of law as a tool for change, and why real transformation requires both imagination and action. Swipe to read some of Nani’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “There are so many ways in which the impact of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism is showing up in our day-to-day lives right now… there are so many entry points in which we can actually start addressing that… very much still alive dynamic, rather than [calling it a] ‘legacy’, which implies it’s something behind us.”

(4) “I hope for people who are engaged in activism, in whatever shape or form, it can be a combination of recognition and inspiration… by reading about what others are doing to resist in different parts of the world, that it might spark new ideas… that people feel like we have allies, that there are others doing similar things… and that it might encourage and reinvigorate what people are already doing.”

(5) “The other thing is that I hope some people will pick up the book because they’re fed up with what they’re seeing around them and want to figure out how they can get involved… and that the book can… open some doors and lower some thresholds to taking action.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 19/05/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Law, Protest, and Social Change, with Lily Greenan We’re back with another one-on-one guest interview – this time with Lily Greenan: activist, researcher, and former Scottish Women’s Aid Chief Executive ✊ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 18/05/2026

NEW BLOGPOST: A Call for Bold Leadership from the Scottish Government on Access to Justice @amandaamaeshi.bsky.social Read here: lawmanity.com/after-the-el...

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 14/05/2026

📖 BOOK GIVEAWAY - Radical Justice by Nani Jansen Reventlow In collaboration with Lighthouse Bookshop in Edinburgh Details in images below You can claim a copy by stopping by the bookshop or by placing an online order, using the code RADICAL-JUSTICE-GIVEAWAY

Picture of Radical Justice book on bookshelf, facing forward, meanwhile surrounding the book are other books on the bookshelf, showing only the spines

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 12/05/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Radical Justice and Systemic Change with Nani Jansen Reventlow Our next one-on-one guest interview is with Nani Jansen Reventlow: human rights lawyer and author of ‘Radical Justice’ 📖 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 07/05/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: @talatyaqoob.bsky.social – feminist campaigner and commentator – on how the law shapes power and inequality, and what’s at stake for Scotland ahead of the 2026 elections. Swipe to read some of Talat’s insightful reflections ➡️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “[The Prevent strategy] is, in writing, about keeping the nation safe… but actually it has created unsafe spaces, insecurity and concern for those of us who appear Muslim… it is being used as a method to penalise rather than protect. … The definition of extremism is so wide… and leaving it to the perceived objectivity of an individual to decide what is extremism, we have seen multiple reporting and referrals to Prevent which have been wholly inappropriate… that is the demonisation of a religion.”

(3) “In the current political landscape… law is being very successfully used to demonise communities, either to eradicate rights that are in law, or to manipulate the interpretation of the law or to completely change the law… right now, it feels more like a barrier than a positive tool.”

(5) “I think there absolutely can be, and should be, a role for activism for lawyers. And I’ve seen it happen here in Scotland, across the UK, across the world: where rights have been advanced, people have been protected … because of the right use of the law.” listen to the episode for more!

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 06/05/2026

📣 FREE Upcoming Event: ‘From Migration Narratives to Lived Realities’ Europe Day Conference 2026 - Citizens Rights Project 📍 Edinburgh 📆 Monday 11th May 🕙 10-16:00 Lawmanity’s Director, Jen Ang, will be speaking from 11:15-12:00 🎟️ Tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/europe-day...

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 30/04/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Davie Donaldson – Scottish Traveller advocate and social justice campaigner – on navigating a legal system not built for Traveller communities, and the fight for dignity and justice. Swipe to read some of Davie’s insightful reflections➡️ Listen: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(2) “So they were beside themselves with worry. They had no idea what this meant. All they knew is that the letter threatened sheriff officer action where their vehicles would be torn away, where their caravans would be removed from the site, and where police enforcement might happen. So they were terrified.”

(4) “There’s very little opportunity for Gypsy Traveller families who are stuck in these situations of cyclical eviction or facing human rights abuses… to learn their rights… I think if we had that level of empowerment… landowners and authorities start to question their actions… because they’ll have the recognition that families know their rights.”

(5) “It’s about … having the ability to come together as a community and experience your own sense of identity and your own sense of belonging. Currently, the justice system in Scotland is a barrier to all of that.”

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 28/04/2026

🎙️ New Episode: What’s at Stake for Scotland in 2026 with Talat Yaqoob We’re back with another one-on-one guest interview – this time with Talat Yaqoob @talatyaqoob.bsky.social: feminist campaigner, consultant, and commentator 📣 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

Picture of Jen (left) and Talat (right) sitting down in conversation, with microphones in front of them, in the podcast studio

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 23/04/2026

NEW EPISODE REMINDER: Amanda Amaeshi @amandaamaeshi.bsky.social – activist, law graduate, Lawmanity Legal Caseworker – on the power and limitations of the legal system, the barriers that prevent people from accessing justice, and what needs to change. 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

(3) “If it’s already difficult [for those of us with legal experience to figure out complex legal rules] then how much more difficult would it be for those who are in a legal crisis and in a heightened state of vulnerability … How are they supposed to navigate the system? … maybe I’m being a bit cynical, but it sometimes seems like opaqueness and difficulty to navigate the system is not just a flaw, but a purposeful design.”

(4) “To suggest that [lawyers’] role is only to uphold the system, no matter how flawed, ignores the deep ethical questions that arise when the rules themselves are actually part of the access to justice problem … If lawyers can’t or don’t challenge these unjust laws or practices, especially with their knowledge and their unique positioning, then who else will do so?”

(5) “Empathy is transformative, and it is as intellectually serious as any other idea [e.g. rationality, often emphasised in core legal modules] … it’s a rigorous, necessary foundation for legal thinking and legal practice.”

“listen to the full episode for more!”

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 21/04/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Law and Justice for Traveller communities with Davie Donaldson Our next one-on-one guest interview is with Davie Donaldson: Scottish Traveller advocate and social justice campaigner 🗣️ 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 14/04/2026

🎙️ New Episode: Access to Justice with Amanda Amaeshi We’re back with more one-on-one guest interviews! Kicking things off is @amandaamaeshi.bsky.social: activist, law graduate, and (as announced a couple weeks ago) Lawmanity’s new Legal Caseworker 🌟 🎧 Listen here ➡️: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

Picture of Jen (left) and Amanda (right) sitting down in conversation, with microphones in front of them, in the podcast studio

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 17/03/2026

Have you listened to our latest episode yet? 🎧 We asked 11 UK-based activists one question: what advice would you give your younger self? Swipe through for a few powerful lines from the conversation. Listen here: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

Quote - Talat Yaqoob - “Even if it’s not on the plan, it’s not in the five-year plan or the ten-year plan – and if you’re like me, you probably have one – if it feels good and it feels exciting, give it a try. Especially if it maybe is a little bit uncomfortable. ... It’s something worth learning”

Quote - Lily Greenan - “Find some way to document what you’re doing and to be able to go back now and again and remind yourself that you’ve learned a few things since then … share [with others/future generations] what you’ve done that worked that was successful, and what you did that just landed flat.”

Quote - Pheona Matovu - “I would say be you. If you don’t know who you are, take time to know who you were. Allow yourself to just know yourself and be you. And at this age, it’s something that I am learning still, but it’s a very powerful tool because you don’t have to try and be somebody else.”

Quote - Alison Pickup - “Don’t hurry. Like, I think when you’re young and enthusiastic, you can be very impatient to get on with your career and with achieving big things. But there’s plenty of time and what’s important is to really take time to know what you enjoy, what motivates you, where your skills are and focus on that area.”

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 06/03/2026

“So what I would tell a younger version of myself is what you’re seeing around you right now doesn’t have to be that way” 11 UK-based activists answer the question: what advice would you give your younger self? Their responses offer a wealth of wisdom 🌟 Listen here: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 04/11/2025

🎙️ "Justice would look like law that is accessible, attainable, appropriate - something that's for you, for everybody." 11 Scottish activists share powerful visions of justice ✊ from basic dignity to transformative change - on our "Equal under the Law" podcast series 🎧 podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 28/10/2025

"People can't afford to access legal justice - not just financially, but in terms of capacity and emotional energy. Your life is a battle." Is law a barrier or tool for equality? Ep 2 of Equal Under the Law? ⚠️ CW: references to sexual violence 🎧 podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 14/10/2025

"I don't think I would put equality in the same sentence with law." Scottish activists on whether the law treats their communities equally. Spoiler: it doesn't. New episode of the Lawmanity Podcast: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 17/09/2025

Straight-A student Ola was denied uni funding - just 58 days short of Scotland's 7-year residency rule. Her case sparked the Our Grades Not Visas movement that changed everything. Hear human rights lawyer Andy Sirel tell the full story on Lawmanity: podfollow.com/lawmanity/view

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 08/08/2025

🎤 New episode!🎤 with @timhopkins.bsky.social and @jena.ng on the history of #LGBT+ rights in Scotland 🌈 ✊🏼 the 1980s campaign against Section 28 ⚖️ the ECHR's role in securing rights in the 1990s 🏳️‍⚧️ the future struggle for trans rights in the UK 🎧 Have a listen here: pnc.st/s/lawmanity

Photo of podcast host wearing headphones and interviewee smiling at a podium in front of equality network and Scottish trans banners, with text: “Episode 1: Tim Hopkins - Equality before the law”

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 11/07/2025

"Don't hurry..." 😊 Alison's advice for getting started in a career as a human rights lawyer or activist

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 04/07/2025

🎤 Today, we’re interviewing leading human rights lawyer ✨ Alison Pickup, Exec Dir of @asylumaid.bsky.social on challenging the UK Rwanda #Asylum Policy - and winning at the Supreme Court ⚖️ Curious about #law and #activism?  🎧 Listen to Episode 1 of the podcast here: pnc.st/s/lawmanity

Photo of smiling lady with text Alison Pickup: Activist Lawyer Series Episode One

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Lawmanity @lawmanity.com · 04/07/2025

🚀 Today we're launching something new from Lawmanity: a podcast series on #law and #activism, bringing you 121 interviews with real people using the law to create social change ✨ 🎤 Episode 1 drops today at 10am! Have a listen here: pnc.st/s/lawmanity

Podcast cover titled Lawmanity with a picture of a fist raised in solidarity holding a squiggly line, like a wire that connects a microphone to a recording device

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