Jacob Dunne: Why I’m Joining the Project That’s Listening to the Public on Justice
Photograph: Stephen Burke/The Guardian
We’re delighted to announce that Jacob Dunne has joined the Common Ground Justice Project as co-founder. We are also very fortunate that Joan Scourfield and David Hodgkinson will be advising the project into its next phase.
In this blog, Jacob describes his journey to the common ground and our plans for the future.
Sitting in the audience during PUNCH at the Young Vic theatre, watching my story play out on stage, I could feel something rare unfolding. Every night, standing ovations told part of the story. But what moved me most were the quiet moments after the curtain fell, when people from all walks of life—victims, former prisoners, professionals, young people—stayed behind to talk, to reflect, and to ask better questions. They weren’t just watching a play. They were entering a conversation.
It felt like the kind of national conversation about justice we should have been having all along — honest, uncomfortable, and full of unexpected agreement.
PUNCH, written by James Graham and inspired by my memoir Right From Wrong, tells the true events of a single, tragic punch I threw which killed James Hodgkinson, and the process of restorative justice that followed between me and James’ parents, Joan and David. Since its sold-out runs at Nottingham Playhouse and the Young Vic, PUNCH has touched tens of thousands of theatre-goers and is set to transfer to London’s West End and Broadway in New York this September.
Common sense, common ground
And yet, for all the impact the play is having on audiences, I found myself facing a dilemma: how do we extend this rare, honest, curious debate around criminal justice beyond the theatre? How do we hold onto it, build on it, and turn it into something that lives beyond the applause?
That’s when I met the team behind the new Common Ground Justice Project. During the Young Vic run, I sat down with co-founders Alice Dawnay and Sam Boyd. They had come to see the show, and we immediately connected over a shared mission: to create space for a more constructive public conversation on justice—one rooted not in ideology, but in common sense, common decency, and common ground.
Since that meeting, I’ve been speaking with Alice and Sam about the project’s future. And today, I’m proud to step into a new chapter — joining as a co-founder of the Common Ground Justice Project — bringing everything I’ve learned over the past decade to help amplify what matters most: the voices of ordinary people and communities affected by crime.
Beyond moments and headlines
In recent years, working alongside James’ parents, David and Joan, I’ve done everything I can to shine a light on our broken justice system—amplifying victims’ voices, and working directly with those in and around prison to make better choices and contribute back to society.
But too often, breakthroughs remained isolated — vital and inspiring, but not systemic. I realised that, in truth, there’s only so far pockets of good practice can go. What has felt missing is a way to carry these conversations beyond moments and headlines — and into something that could actually shift the justice system forward. Because all the while, the system keeps grinding on: overloaded courts, overcrowded prisons, rising street crime, endemic reoffending. A national debate stuck in the same tired loop of "tough vs soft," where everyone talks over the people actually living with the consequences. Without a plan to scale what works, and square it with what the public wants.
An untapped ally
What I see in the Common Ground Justice Project is not just a new organisation, but a new mechanism for change. A platform to bring together the unheard, the sidelined, and the curious—and to build from the values we share, not the positions we’re told to pick.
During its pilot, Common Ground conducted deep listening with victims, voters, prison leavers, and communities. And what they found wasn’t chaos, it was the emerging signs of a new consensus. A quiet majority across divides who want to see both punishment and rehabilitation, better accountability for offenders and the system, fairer sentencing for all, and greater contribution from people who’ve committed crime.
These are not ideological demands. They are the common ground. They reflect the public’s values and experiences. And they offer a roadmap for real change that can both cut crime and win widespread support—if we have the courage to listen properly.
What struck me was how clearly PUNCH’s story of restorative justice reflected these same values. The overwhelming public response felt like proof that people are open to new approaches—if we offer them real life examples. And it showed that the principles behind restorative justice—victims at the centre, proper accountability, real reductions in crime—mirror what people say they want from the system more broadly.
The Common Ground is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: that the public isn’t the problem—they’re the untapped ally. If we can identify and amplify common ground shared by the public on justice, then politicians will no longer have to fear a backlash. They’ll be able to lead with confidence.
Bridging divides
I’m especially proud that James’ parents, Joan Scourfield and David Hodgkinson, are also backing the Common Ground Justice Project as advisors, guiding us as we go. Their courage, wisdom, and relentless commitment to change have shaped my journey from the very beginning. Their decision to join us sends a powerful message: that justice must centre the voices of those harmed, and create conditions for those responsible to take accountability.
“We’ve always believed that real change starts by listening — to victims, to the public, and to those who are willing to take responsibility. That’s what the Common Ground Justice Project is doing, and we’re proud to support it.”
Jacob, Joan and David this month at the Nottingham Playhouse.
In joining the Common Ground Justice Project, I’m excited to be building something different—creating change out in the open, with the public leading the way. But we can’t do it alone. To shape a justice system that restores public confidence, we need to reach further, listen deeper, and keep the conversation going long after the curtain falls. That’s what we’ll be doing in the coming months, with further groundbreaking research, and using PUNCH as a hook for widening the debate.
Travel with us
If you believe in a system that truly delivers for victims, holds people accountable, and helps communities heal—we’d love for you to be part of this next phase. Some ways you can help include:
Donate to help us reach more people and build public pressure for change
Join our mailing list to follow the journey and be part of the conversation
Partner with us—whether you work in policy, education, the arts, business, media, justice, or community development. Wherever you are, there's a role to play.
Share this post with someone who cares about justice but is tired of the noise
Let’s find the common ground - together.
Follow the journey at www.commongroundjustice.uk
Or connect with us on LinkedIn @commongroundjusticeproject
The production of PUNCH is dedicated in memory of Jamed Hodgkinson and all victims of one punch.