London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 13, 2025

Barrister mistaken for defendant three times calls for anti-racism training

A barrister has called for the introduction of anti-racism training in the legal profession after being mistaken for a defendant three times in one day.
Alexandra Wilson, 25, who is also the author of ‘In Black and White’ which examines racism in the UK court system, tweeted last Wednesday about her ‘exhausting’ experience of discrimination as a black barrister.

In just one day, she was stopped by a security guard who couldn’t find her name on the defendant’s list. Once inside the courtroom, a legal professional then told her to wait outside and see the usher about her case.

She was then later shouted at by a clerk who told her to leave the courtroom and wait for her case to begin. She was also mistaken for a journalist by a member of the public, who had told her not to go into the courtroom.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Ms Wilson said that there was a wrongful assumption racism had been manifested by overt brutality like the murder of George Floyd in the US.

In reality, she said there was a ‘much bigger problem’ of ‘underlying assumptions’ about black people.

She went on: ‘The issue is not so much being wrongly thought to be a defendant, journalist or member of the public.

‘It’s the underlying assumptions that underpin it. That “all mixed-race people look the same” or “black people must be coming to court because they’re in trouble with the law”.’

She added: ‘It’s easy to think, “I’m not racist because I don’t use racial slurs” or “I would never intentionally say anything hateful to someone about their race”.

‘But racism doesn’t stop there. Racism is making assumptions about people because of the way they look.’

Ms Wilson’s own journey into the legal profession, which has been criticised as being a bastion for white, middle-class, privately educated white men, was inspired by the tragic murder of her friend Ayo when she was 17.

She criticised current racial bias training as tokenistic, saying: ‘The training that does take place needs to be actively anti-racist, as opposed to promoting equality and diversity which should be a bare minimum.’

Ms Wilson’s tweets went viral, triggering a wave of responses from other fellow black and ethnic minority legal professionals. She also received an apology from acting chief executive of HM Courts and Tribunals Service, Kevin Sadler, who will be investigating a formal complaint she made.

Barrister and co-founder of the Black Barristers Network, Natasha Shotunde, stated that micro-aggressions, patronising and belittling comments were commonplace for black barristers.

She said: ‘In the media, we are only portrayed as criminals, or if we’re lucky, singers or athletes. Black intellect isn’t something that is recognised or acknowledged, and that feeds into our professions.’

Describing her own early experiences of racial discrimination at an advocacy weekend with a retired judge, she added: ‘He turned to me and asked me whether I was going to go back to my country to practice when really, I was born and raised in Tottenham.’

At all levels of the legal profession, from the appointment of QC’s to the progression of law students from ethnic minority backgrounds, there has been criticism about the lack of diversity.

A report from the Bar Standards Board published last year showed ethnic minority students were almost twice as less likely to get a pupillage than white students with similar levels of academic attainment.

Ms Shotunde highlighted 1.1% of QC’s are from a black/black British ethnic group, which compares to around 3.7% of the UK working age population. Issues around the retention of barristers, particular of ethnic minority barristers, has also been widely reported.

‘It’s not just about me, about this particular incidence in the court-room’, Ms Wilson added. ‘It’s about the wider impact this might have on people. It’s things like this that might indicate why people are not staying in the profession.’

Defence barrister Abimbola Johnson said Ms Wilson’s experience was a reflection of a much wider issue of systemic racism. She said: ‘The prejudices we see reflected in the system are reflective of the prejudice we see in our day-to-day lives.’

‘What Wilson experienced is in many ways a symptom of the over-representation of black people in the criminal justice system which has been widely reported in the 1981 Scarman report and the 2017 David Lammy Review.

‘We need to start having honest conversations, looking at the systemic structures rather than expressing indignation about individual experiences.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
×