Jo Maugham KC, Founder and Director of the Good Law Project: leveraging the law to change the world

Do One Better with Alberto Lidji in Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship

The Founder and Director of the Good Law Project, Jo Maugham KC, on leveraging the law to craft the world you’d like to see.

The law is a powerful means to effect positive social change but not everyone has access to it and the law isn’t always used for good.

In this episode we explore social impact through the lens of public interest litigation, and we cover a wide range of examples and thought-provoking arguments.

The Good Law Project is a non-profit organisation but it is not a registered charity since, as Jo explains, the charity regulator can be politicised. Not being a registered charity affords the Good Law Project more freedom to leverage the law to drive social change. Likewise, the Good Law Project is crowd-funded by approximately 34,000 monthly donors and they are not beholden to any single major donor which, in turn, enables the Good Law Project to embrace whatever tone of voice they wish.

This episode is thought-provoking and highly informative.

About Jo Maugham KC

A tax barrister by trade, Jolyon Maugham KC founded Good Law Project in 2017 without a single big backer and no staff. It has brought a series of landmark cases against a dishonest and increasingly autocratic government and won widespread acclaim in successfully reversing Boris Johnson's unlawful suspension of Parliament. Already the largest legal campaign group in the UK, Good Law Project is shining light into corners the establishment would rather keep dark - from the failures of Brexit to the still-developing PPE scandal, to the tax arrangements of business giants like Uber. With the increasingly important focus on the changing climate, Good Law Project has expanded its work into protecting the environment, both by highlighting those allowing the pollution of our river and seas, and those who are trying to prevent the government change in Net Zero policy, and being silenced as a result. From humble origins to a major legal force, Jolyon has become a key defender against government overreach.

Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 250+ case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.