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The Legacy of Diethylstilbestrol (DES): A Systemic Failure and the Fight for Justice

In this article, Sharon Hartles explores the UK’s delayed response to the Diethylstilbestrol DES drug scandal. Despite mounting evidence of harm, survivors were left without answers, support, or accountability. Sharon calls on the government to go beyond a limited investigation and urges a formal apology, a public inquiry, and the creation of a compensation scheme.

29th May 2025

'The Never To be Forgotten, 3rd August' - North Sands Massacre, Sunderland, 1825

When researching the 1826 Chatterton Massacre, David Gordon Scott found in the archives an account of the North Sands Massacre, Sunderland, 3rd August 1825 . The massacre, where five workers were shot dead, has been almost entirely forgotten.  This blog provides a brief overview of the massacre and some details of the bicentennial commemorations.

12th May 2025

International Workers’ Memorial Day (#IWMD25): Confronting the Deadly Cost of Work

In this article, Sharon Hartles marks IWMD25 by exposing how systemic violence—from workplace deaths to Grenfell—is rooted in austerity, deregulation, and profit-driven neglect. She challenges legal definitions of crime, showing how the law protects capital while ignoring preventable harms. Calling this social murder, she urges us to remember the dead and fight for the living.

25th April 2025

Giving dignity to the dead’: Naming the deceased of the 1826 ‘Lancashire Rising’

In this article, David Scott and Kate Hurst name, and highlight the importance of naming, some of those who died in the 1826 ‘Lancashire Rising’.

17th April 2025

The Case for Reforming Scotland’s Corporate Homicide Act

In this article, Sharon Hartles asks whether the Corporate Homocide Act in Scotland has achieved its aims, and considers whether it should be reformed.

6th December 2024

Robbie Powell 2024: A Legacy of Injustice and the Road to Accountability

In this article, Sharon Hartles provides an update on the case of Robbie Powell.

4th October 2024

Grenfell Tower Inquiry 2024: A Report on a System That Never Learns

In this article, Sharon Hartles reflects on the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's final report.

10th September 2024

Grenfell. The Final Report. And?

In this article, ahead of the publication of the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Steve Tombs gives three observations on the Inquiry and the likely import of its final report.

3rd September 2024

Justice after Grenfell?

Seven years ago, on 14th June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey tower block on the Lancaster West estate in North Kensington, West London, a relatively poor and ethnically diverse area of social housing located in the richest Borough in England. 72 people were killed.

13th June 2024

Primodos 2024: The Quest for Justice Continues

In this article, Sharon Hartles explores the ongoing challenges that Primodos survivors encounter in seeking justice. She discusses the impact of new evidence and advocacy efforts, highlighting the resilience of those involved in the quest for accountability. Sharon Hartles is a member of the Harm and Evidence Research Collaborative at the Open University. Additionally, she is affiliated with the Risky Hormones research project, an international collaboration in partnership with patient groups.

22nd May 2024

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