By [Niklas], Legal Volunteer, Feminist Justice Coalition
In university, we learn about justice as a set of clean rules and principles. But since volunteering with the Feminist Justice Coalition (FJC), I’ve learned that for many women, the “system” is actually just a mess of red tape that ruins lives.
My ambition has always been to qualify as a solicitor specializing in criminal law. I don’t just want to argue cases; I want to stand on the frontline for those who have been wrongly hurt by the system. Working with the FJC has allowed me to step out of the library and into the fight, challenging the “Systemic failure” that leaves vulnerable women in dangerous limbo.
The Case of Carol Lloyd
Currently, our team is fighting for Mrs. Carol Lloyd, a 66-year-old British citizen who has been effectively abandoned by the government she was born under. Her story is a terrifying example of how systemic indifference destroys lives.
In May 2025, Mrs. Lloyd was extradited to Canada despite holding medical evidence that she was unfit to fly due to severe neurological conditions. The authorities prioritized an administrative transfer over a woman’s life. She is now detained in the Calgary Remand Centre—a facility we believe is wholly inappropriate for an elderly woman with complex health needs.
Through my casework with the FJC, I have learned the harrowing details of her detention:
- Inhumane Conditions: She is triple-bunked in a cramped cell, often with inmates struggling with severe addiction or mental health issues.
- Lack of Basic Sanitation: There is no toilet in her cell. She must use an intercom to beg for access to a bathroom and queue for basic sanitation—a degrading process that exacerbates her medical conditions.
- Medical Neglect: Despite a history of mini-strokes (TIAs) and a high risk of a full stroke, there is no overnight healthcare provision. She has been denied essential medication for chronic pain and has not seen a neurologist in over three years.
Trapped by Red Tape
What fuels my desire to enter criminal defence is witnessing how easily a person can be trapped by red tape. Mrs. Lloyd is being deprived of British consular support because of a technicality: she is a dual national.
She proactively applied to renounce her Canadian citizenship over two years ago—a process that should take seven months—yet it remains “in progress.” Because of this administrative delay, she is trapped without the diplomatic protection she desperately needs. To make matters worse, she served over two and a half years on remand in the UK, yet we are now told the Canadian courts may not credit this time against her sentence. She is effectively being punished twice.
Why This Work Matters
This is why I volunteer with the FJC. We connect students like me with senior lawyers to do the heavy lifting that legal aid lawyers often don’t have the capacity to do. My role isn’t just learning about different types of law; it’s about drafting letters, chasing MPs, and refusing to let Carol be ignored
Volunteering here has been an experience and an insight into how the justice system has really crumbled. It has demonstrated that justice requires more than just lawyers; it requires a persistence through ambition and hard work to cut through the silence. My role is to help challenge these systemic failures, drafting letters and conducting research to demand that Mrs. Lloyd is treated with “due propriety.”
We are sharing Carol’s story with The View because silence is the system’s greatest weapon. I am determined to use my voice, and my future career, to ensure that women like Carol Lloyd are never silenced again.