Common Ground on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Radical’

Common Ground Justice Project co-founder Jacob Dunne recently appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Radical podcast, hosted by Amol Rajan, in a wide-ranging conversation about restorative justice, public listening and how Britain might move beyond polarised debates on crime and punishment. According to Rajan, it soon became Radical’s most listened episode ever.

The episode tells the extraordinary story behind the Common Ground Justice Project. As a teenager, Jacob killed James Hodgkinson with a single punch. Years later, through restorative justice, Jacob met James’s parents — David Hodgkinson and Joan Scourfield — beginning a journey that has seen them work together to campaign for a more effective justice system.

Reflecting on that experience, Jacob told Rajan:

“If David, Joan and I can find common ground after what we’ve been through — and stand together campaigning for change — then surely our politics can find common ground too.”

The conversation explored why listening across divides is now central to the work of the Common Ground Justice Project.

“We have a listening crisis. So many people feel unheard — young people, communities, whole parts of the country. If we want better solutions, we have to start by listening.”

Jacob also explained why he and colleagues founded the Common Ground Justice Project:

“We founded the Common Ground Justice Project to actually listen to the public — polling people, holding conversations across the country — to understand what they really want from their justice system.”

The discussion also explored the evidence behind restorative justice, which has been shown to help victims recover, reduce reoffending and deliver significant savings for taxpayers.

As Jacob explained:

“Restorative justice works for victims, it helps reduce reoffending, and it saves public money. Whatever lens you look through, it’s one of the most effective reforms we have.”

The episode provided a powerful national platform for the ideas at the heart of our work: listening better, bridging divides and building a justice system that works for victims, communities and society as a whole.

Watch the episode on Youtube above or listen on BBC Sounds here.