Harriet Samuels 2026. Mobilising the law: reflections on feminist legal activism and the undercover policing scandal. in: Godden-Rasul, N. and Kula, S.L. (ed.) Research Handbook on Gender, Violence and Law Edward Elgar. pp. 345-359
| Chapter title | Mobilising the law: reflections on feminist legal activism and the undercover policing scandal |
|---|---|
| Authors | Harriet Samuels |
| Editors | Godden-Rasul, N. and Kula, S.L. |
| Abstract | The undercover policing scandal involved police officers adopting fake identities and deceiving women activists in political groups into intimate relationships. It raises profound questions about the misogynist nature of policing and its ability to respond to gender-based violence. Determined to hold the state accountable for the deception and violence perpetrated against them, the women survivors used a wide number of legal tools and instruments, including actions in tort, a judicial review against the Crown Prosecution Service, an action under the Human Rights Act 1998 in the Investigatory Appeals Tribunal, and a petition to the UN CEDAW Committee. The subsequent public inquiry has also been the subject of feminist litigation. This chapter analyzes the legal activism of the women who were the survivors of the scandal and the strategic decisions they, their supporters and lawyers made to choose the law as a tool to pursue justice. |
| Book title | Research Handbook on Gender, Violence and Law |
| Page range | 345-359 |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar |
| Publication dates | |
| Published | 21 Jul 2026 |
| ISBN | 9781035319398 |
| 9781035319404 | |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035319404.00031 |
| Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035319404.00031 |