Black barrister was told ‘it’s not for defendants’ at London court car park
A black barrister, Stephen Akinsanya, was mistaken for a defendant by a security guard at a London court car park, highlighting the lack of progress on racism within the legal system. The incident occurred despite Akinsanya wearing his barrister's attire and being a well-known figure in the profession. This experience is not unique to Akinsanya, as other black barristers have shared similar stories of being mistaken for defendants, underscoring the need for greater diversity and inclusion in the judiciary.
- ▪Stephen Akinsanya, a black barrister, was told he could not park in a court's car park because 'it's not for defendants'.
- ▪The incident occurred about four weeks ago at an east London court, where Akinsanya was wearing his barrister's attire.
- ▪Akinsanya's experience is part of a larger issue of racism within the criminal justice system, with judicial diversity statistics showing minimal progress in increasing the number of black judges.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/aug/07/black-barrister-london-court-racism |
| Publication time | Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:01:30 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-07T11:15:47.445Z |
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Stephen Akinsanya: ‘There is still a perception that, if you’re black, you’re more likely not to be the lawyer, you’re more likely to be a defendant’. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The GuardianView image in fullscreenStephen Akinsanya: ‘There is still a perception that, if you’re black, you’re more likely not to be the lawyer, you’re more likely to be a defendant’. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The GuardianLawBlack barrister was told ‘it’s not for defendants’ at London court car parkStephen Akinsanya says being mistaken for defendant shows lack of progress on racism within legal systemHaroon Siddique Legal affairs correspondent Fri 7 Aug 2026 07.01 EDTLast modified on Fri 7 Aug 2026 07.13 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA black barrister has said a security guard told him he could not park…
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