Ludovic Kennedy

One of my heroes, Ludovic Kennedy has died aged 89. He was best known as a campaigner against miscarriages of justice – exposing corrupt policemen, complacent judges and the unfairness of the adversarial system of justice. His book, 10 Rillington Place, about Timothy Evans who was hanged for a murder he didn’t commit was influential in ending capital punishment in this country. ​

Which reminds me that, disgracefully, Barack Obama even though he says he agrees that capital punishment is not a deterrent, is nevertheless in favour of it because it, “sends out the right message”. Sir Ludovic was also well known as an atheist. As a good child he had said his prayers every night but as a teenager gave up since “no-one was listening”. His father, he presumed, knelt as usual to pray the night before his ship was blown up by the Germans. Sir Ludovic wrote with clear logic, he was never strident, he was always good humoured and I can’t think of any modern campaigner with anything like his compassion or ability.