Maxine Peake Hosts Groundbreaking Podcast Exposing Joint Enterprise Law Injustice

British actor and social justice advocate Maxine Peake is turning up the volume on one of the UK’s most controversial legal doctrines—joint enterprise—with a gripping new podcast titled In It Together: The Joint Enterprise Podcast. The four-part audio series, launched in collaboration with the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, dives deep into the murky waters of collective criminal responsibility laws, bringing unheard voices to the fore.

Maxine Peake hosting the In It Together podcast on joint enterprise law

Contents hide

1 What is Joint Enterprise?

1.1 🔍 Understanding a Legal Grey Area with Life-Altering Consequences

2 Inside the Podcast: A Breakdown of Each Episode

2.1 🎧 Episode 1: What Is Joint Enterprise?

2.2 🌍 Episode 2: Race, Class, and the Marginalised Impacted Most

2.3 ⚖️ Episode 3: The Fight Back – Campaigns, Cases, and Reforms

2.4 🗣️ Episode 4: The Road Ahead – A Broken Law in Need of Repair

3 Maxine Peake: From Screen to Social Justice

3.1 🎭 From “Silk” to Soundwaves – Why This Cause Hits Home

4 Why This Podcast Matters: Voices from the Inside

4.1 🧱 First-Person Accounts: Humanising the Statistics

5 Expert Insight: Helen Mills on the Podcast’s Purpose

5.1 💬 “This Is a Call for Reform, Not Just Awareness”

6 Political Backing: MPs and Campaigners Join the Call

6.1 🏛️ Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, says the podcast is a tool for transformation:

6.2 🎗️ Gloria Morrison, Co-founder of JENGbA:

7 Why Joint Enterprise Is More Than Just a Legal Issue

7.1 ⚠️ A Broader Social Injustice

8 Media, Reform and Public Pressure: The Change Is Brewing

9 Where to Listen

10 Final Thoughts: Is Reform Finally Within Reach?

What is Joint Enterprise?

🔍 Understanding a Legal Grey Area with Life-Altering Consequences

Joint enterprise is a legal doctrine that allows multiple individuals to be convicted for a crime committed by one of them, if it’s believed they “encouraged” or “assisted” in any way. While originally designed to deter gang violence, critics argue that the vague language and broad application of this law have led to miscarriages of justice—especially for young people, minorities, and those on the periphery of crimes.

Inside the Podcast: A Breakdown of Each Episode

🎧 Episode 1: What Is Joint Enterprise?

Traces the origins of the doctrine and how it has evolved.
Features expert commentary from legal historians and lawyers.
Examines early court cases that set precedents.

🌍 Episode 2: Race, Class, and the Marginalised Impacted Most

Explores how Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are disproportionately affected.
Discusses systemic biases and profiling in joint enterprise convictions.
Interviews with former prisoners and their families.

⚖️ Episode 3: The Fight Back – Campaigns, Cases, and Reforms

Focuses on JENGbA (Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association), a grassroots movement seeking to reform the law.
Profiles key campaigners and wrongly convicted individuals.
Shows the emotional and financial toll on families.

🗣️ Episode 4: The Road Ahead – A Broken Law in Need of Repair

Includes voices from Parliament, the legal community, and campaign groups.
Highlights the push for legislative reform.
Asks: Can the justice system be truly just while joint enterprise exists in its current form?

Maxine Peake: From Screen to Social Justice

🎭 From “Silk” to Soundwaves – Why This Cause Hits Home

Peake, known for her commanding performances in Silk, Shameless, and Funny Cow, brings her trademark emotional depth and intellect to this project. But it’s more than just a voice gig. The actor says she was drawn to the podcast due to first-hand conversations with affected families, stating:

“I had met families shattered by this law. When the opportunity arose to help amplify their voices, I said yes without hesitation.”

Why This Podcast Matters: Voices from the Inside

🧱 First-Person Accounts: Humanising the Statistics

The podcast features raw, powerful interviews with:

Former inmates who were convicted under joint enterprise laws.
Mothers and siblings who have campaigned tirelessly for justice.
Legal scholars explaining how the doctrine strays from fairness.

One particularly harrowing account involves a 13-year-old sentenced to life for a crime he didn’t commit. His story echoes hundreds of similar tales—young people caught in a legal dragnet, often without full understanding of what they were being accused of.

Expert Insight: Helen Mills on the Podcast’s Purpose

💬 “This Is a Call for Reform, Not Just Awareness”

Helen Mills, Head of Programmes at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, played a pivotal role in shaping the podcast. She explains:

“The law has evolved to a point where it’s no longer serving justice. This series puts together voices that reveal both the depth of injustice and the urgent need for systemic change.”

Political Backing: MPs and Campaigners Join the Call

🏛️ Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, says the podcast is a tool for transformation:

“We’ve seen how media can spotlight injustices—just like the ‘TRAPPED’ series did for IPP prisoners. I believe In It Together has the power to do the same for joint enterprise victims.”

🎗️ Gloria Morrison, Co-founder of JENGbA:

“People still don’t believe it’s possible to be imprisoned for a crime you didn’t commit. But it’s happening—especially to our youth. This podcast is a mirror held up to our broken system.”

Why Joint Enterprise Is More Than Just a Legal Issue

⚠️ A Broader Social Injustice

Disproportionate convictions of ethnic minorities.
Life sentences handed to teens for mere association.
Legal ambiguity exploited in courtrooms.
Families bankrupted and broken by appeal processes.

The podcast makes a compelling case: Joint enterprise is no longer a deterrent—it’s a vehicle for injustice.

Media, Reform and Public Pressure: The Change Is Brewing

Recent years have seen increased media scrutiny on laws that criminalize association rather than action. Campaigns like JENGbA and documentaries like Panorama have amplified the conversation, but In It Together might just be the most comprehensive and emotional exploration yet.

Where to Listen

In It Together: The Joint Enterprise Podcast is available now on Acast, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Final Thoughts: Is Reform Finally Within Reach?

This podcast is not just a storytelling platform—it’s a mobilising tool, a truth-teller, and a symbol of resistance. As more public figures like Maxine Peake shine a light on legal injustices, there’s hope that the collective pressure will lead to concrete legislative change.