3 April 2025

The legal dragnet: Joint Enterprise law and its implications

Courts and sentencing, Young adults

Read the report

This report examines the law and prosecution practice concerning secondary liability, often referred to as ‘Joint Enterprise’. Focusing on homicide cases, it highlights the risks posed by the current ambiguous law and makes a case for creating a safer framework for prosecution. It finds that Joint Enterprise laws are vague and wide in scope, causing systemic injustice, including over-criminalisation, over-punishment, discriminatory outcomes, and convictions where there is no compelling evidence of intent and a defendant’s physical contribution is minimal. The report is part of the Young Adult Safety project at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. This project aims to strengthen advocacy about the key aspects of serious violence that affect young adults.

10 September 2025
From exploited to exploiter?

This report looks at how to prevent the unjust criminalisation of victims of child criminal exploitation in the transition to adulthood.

Criminal Justice, young adults
Smaller but tougher: How the criminal justice system is processing young adults

This Centre for Criminal Justice report looks at trends for young adults in the criminal justice system for more serious offences

Joint Enterprise
The legal dragnet: Joint Enterprise law and its implications

'The legal dragnet' examines the law and prosecution practice concerning secondary liability, often referred to as 'joint enterprise'.