Alexandra Wilson

Alexandra Wilson is a barrister, author and campaigner who is on a mission to challenge discrimination in the courtroom after she was mistaken for a defendant in court three times on the same day, due to the colour of her skin.

Originally from Essex, her career path was shaped when a close family friend was killed in a case of mistaken identity on his way home from football practice. Her desire to find answers and make a difference led her to go on to study criminal law. She went on to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Oxford but felt dissatisfied with the lack of discussions about race within these areas so began to search them out for herself. She went on to be awarded two prestigious scholarships, enabling her to research the impact of police shootings in the US on young people’s attitudes to the police.

In speeches, she shares the frustrations and triumphs of life as a barrister and highlights the truths behind a justice system that charges and convicts Black people disproportionately. As in her debut book, In Black and White: A Young Barrister’s Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System, she tells of her journey to the Bar, her experiences in court, and her fight for racial justice.

Alexandra has shared her story and brought attention to injustices that Black people face across many platforms including on TV for BBC News and Women's Hour, and in print for The New York Times and the Independent. She is the founder of Black Women In Law and the co-founder of One Case At A Time, an organisation that provides legal funding and representation for Black people in the UK in cases of injustice.