Miriam Wachira | Justice Nest Archives - JURIST - Commentary

Commentaries by Miriam Wachira | Justice Nest

Tilted Scales: How Poverty Undermines Justice in Kenya

April 27, 2026 03:13:06 pm

In Kenya, thousands of prisoners are appearing before courts without legal representation, with no one to protect or defend their rights. It has become its own kind of epidemic. Kenya currently holds approximately 59,000 adult prisoners. Of these, over 22,000 are on remand — legally presumed innocent, awaiting trial without any legal support. Walk into [...]

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Memphis Massacre of 1866 breaks out

The Memphis Massacre of 1866 broke out on May 1 of that year after Black Union veterans and police were involved in an altercation surrounding the arrest of a Black soldier. The ensuing skirmish spiralled out of control due to the racial tensions that followed the end of the US Civil War, lasting for two days and claiming the lives of 46 Black people and six whites. The riot later cemented support for what would become the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Consitution, ensuring equal protection under the law. Learn more about the Memphis Massacre.

Acts of Union creates Great Britain

On May 1, 1707, the two Acts of Union went into effect, implementing the Treaty of Union and thereby uniting the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The Union with Scotland Act was passed by the Parliament of England in 1706, and the Scottish Parliament promulgated the Union with England Act. Learn more about the Acts of Union from the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

First US trade union formed

On May 1, 1794, the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) was organized in Philadelphia to negotiate wages for its members, becoming the first trade union in the United States. Learn more about the history of the labor movement in the United States, and visit the website of the AFL-CIO, the federation of America's labor unions, representing more than 13 million workers.