Know Your Rights

Ages 12 And Up, Grades 7 And Up

The true-life account of two young lawyers journey through the dark heart of death row and child prosecution in the corrupt and victimising legal systems of Louisiana, Belize, and the UK.

In 2006 Aika Stephenson and Shauneen Lambe established Just for Kids Law. Shauneen, an attorney and barrister had previously represented death row defendants in the US and Aika had become a lawyer after working with the youth offending team and remand prisoners at Feltham Young Offenders Institution. They set up the organization to tackle

some of the horrific treatment and neglect young people suffer at the hands of the authorities and have campaigned to support young people within in the legal system. In 2013 their Still a Child at Seventeen campaign changed UK law to ensure that 17 year olds have the right to an appropriate adult at police stations. This was the result of vicious

and bullying behavior by police to 17 year olds, who were only arrested for minor offences and once released all committed suicide.

This vividly told account highlights the difficulties and traumas faced by young people, but will also educate them on their rights and those that are able to help them. This book uncovers the individual stories of young disadvantaged teens who were helped by Just For Kids and a fight against an unjust legal system in this fascinating story of legal activism.

About the Author

Shauneen Lamb is a lawyer and the founder & legal consultant for Just for Kids Law, a London-based charity that provides advocacy, legal, and youth opportunities services to children and young people as well as campaigning for wider reform. She spends her time working to improve the lives of kids, through the rule of law and advocacy. 

Sufiya Ahmed was born in India and arrived in the UK as a baby. She lived in Bolton, Lancashire, before moving to London where she still lives. Sufiya has worked in advertising and in the House of Commons, but is now a full-time author. In 2010 Sufiya set up the BIBI Foundation, a non-profit organisation, to arrange visits to the Houses of Parliament for diverse and underprivileged school children.