Shabana Mahmood urged to grant visa to former Weather Underground activist Judith Clark

Human rights activists and celebrities, including lawyer Helena Kennedy, actor Harriet Walter, and theatre director Phyllida Lloyd, are urging the Home Office to reverse its refusal of a visa for Judith Clark, a 77-year-old former member of the radical US Weather Underground. Clark was invited by the Royal Shakespeare Company to speak about restorative justice after her decades in prison. Supporters argue her rehabilitation should be considered. Clark inspired Walter's portrayal of prisoners in the Donmar Warehouse all-female Shakespeare trilogy, including Brutus in Julius Caesar and Prospero in The Tempest. The decision highlights tensions between security concerns and the value of rehabilitation and free expression. The Home Office has not yet commented on the appeal.