The King's Gambit

When my son grows up I will teach him…
 
There aren’t criminals and innocents, just teams. Only compare yourself with those whose tests you have faced. Many men would be here after one bad day. They were just lucky. And I was unlucky. That’s what I want him to see.

Three men and a ghost take to the stand. Through the eyes of my son, we look the same: Powerful, confident, wearied. Each choked by a colourful ribbon.

But it doesn’t matter what my son sees. The tides have changed. I am only interested now in what judgement my skin elicits.

Privilege? We all agree a colour has it.

Just not which.

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In the summer of 2025, the nation launched an inquiry into racial and gender equity in the criminal justice system. The commission's findings indicated instances of systemic bias based on race, gender, and age within the judiciary.

Against the backdrop of eroding social cohesion, the outcome of the inquiry was the pilot of a ‘blind trial’ structure. What would a case look like where ethnicity, gender, and age remained hidden?

Could we find common ground on justice?