What happens when following the law is not enough to achieve justice?
In this episode of Life in Law, host Charles Peter sits down with solicitor and social justice lawyer Elkan Abrahamson to explore a remarkable legal career shaped by some of the most significant miscarriages of justice, public inquiries and institutional failures in modern British history.
Elkan's route into law was far from carefully planned. After studying law in Israel, qualifying in England and spending time practising in Hong Kong, he returned to a busy high street practice where criminal defence, legal aid and the intensity of the magistrates' courts became his training ground.
But his career would eventually take a very different direction.
From challenging conditions within the prison system and representing life-sentence prisoners, to acting for children in care proceedings, Elkan increasingly found himself working in areas where conventional legal remedies were not always enough.
That experience ultimately led to his involvement with the Hillsborough families, beginning a fight for truth and accountability that would span decades.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Elkan discusses:
→ How representing a prisoner led him into pioneering work challenging prison conditions
→ Why lawyers sometimes need to look beyond existing law to achieve justice
→ His involvement with the Hillsborough families and the long fight to reopen the case
→ The police cover-up following the Hillsborough disaster and the battle to change the public narrative
→ What it was like to take part in the two-year Hillsborough inquests and hear the jury's conclusions
→ Why bereaved families should be placed at the centre of public inquiries and inquests
→ The role that law, politics and public pressure can play together in creating change
→ Why winning a case in court does not always mean winning the wider battle
→ His work surrounding the Manchester Arena Inquiry and COVID Inquiry
→ Why institutional truthfulness and whistleblower protection remain major issues
→ The ongoing campaign for a Hillsborough Law and greater accountability from public officials
→ Why, in Elkan's words, if you do not like a law, sometimes you have to try to change it
Elkan also reflects on the realities of taking on cases that may last for years, balancing pro bono work with running a sustainable legal practice, and why confronting injustice has been more energising than exhausting throughout his career.
One of the central ideas running through the episode is Elkan's belief that law is only one tool in the toolbox. Some of the most important cases require the support of the courts, politicians and the public if lasting change is going to happen.
This is a fascinating conversation about what it means to practice law not simply within the system, but to challenge the system itself.
From Hillsborough to Changing the Law: A Career Fighting Injustice | Elkan Abrah
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