Joint enterprise (JE) is a set of legal principles grounded in common law and originating from Victorian times, allowing for the collective punishment of multiple defendants for a single offence. There has been a re-emergence in their application in the last two decades. This research examines the impact of the use of JE with female defendants.

There are at least 109 women (and likely more) convicted in England and Wales under JE. The convictions stretch back to 2004. The overwhelming majority of women convicted under JE (90%) engaged in no violence in relation to the events related to their JE conviction. In no cases did the women use a deadly weapon, such as a knife or bottle, the type of implements that were common causes of death of the victim.

Published in November 2020 by Manchester Metropolitan University.