This lecture was recorded on Friday, 7 June 2024 at the Martin Harris Centre as part of Universally Manchester Festival. It is the second live instalment of the Talk 200 lecture and podcast series. 

Nazir Afzal, Chancellor of the University and former Chief Crown Prosecutor for north-west England, discusses inequalities in access to justice and a vision for fairer treatment across the legal service. 

During his legal career, Afzal prosecuted some of the highest profile criminal cases in the UK. Here he talks about limits to equality and the many issues that exist within our current legal system. Cutting across ethnicity, gender, economic status, age and health, he explores what is being done – and what more should be done – to combat these challenges. 

Find the full transcript of this episode on the Talk 200 webpage.

Further information 

Find out more about: 

• The University’s research in global inequalities  
• The University of Manchester Justice Hub 
• Manchester Innocence Project 
• The Innocence Podcast series 
• Prosecuting Rap research 
• Racial Bias and the Bench report 
• Policy@Manchester article on the Westminster Commission on Miscarriages of Justice report

Find out more on our Talk 200 webpage or discover more about our wider bicentenary celebrations.