ITV News
Ruth Ellis, last woman to be executed in the UK, to receive conditional pardon — news coverage and press conference.
Read and watchSpeaker. Advocate. Campaigner.
Justice, trauma, and the stories families inherit
Laura Enston is the granddaughter of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain. On 8th July 2026, alongside her siblings, she secured a posthumous conditional pardon for Ruth from His Majesty The King, bringing to fruition a campaign that had spanned generations of her family and marking a significant moment for women and girls affected by domestic abuse.
With the support of legal teams at Mishcon de Reya and Matrix Chambers, the family’s application to the Ministry of Justice succeeded: the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary advised the King to grant a conditional pardon, correcting a historic miscarriage of justice and confronting the realities of domestic abuse, and how it has been shaped by law, culture, and systems of power.
Laura speaks openly about generational trauma, family secrecy, and the long aftermath of public judgement. Her work centres on truth, healing, and the human cost of punishment that does not end with the condemned.
About Laura
As the daughter of Ruth Ellis’s daughter, Georgina, Laura grew up in a family shaped by the trauma of the 1955 execution. For many years, she distanced herself from this history, influenced by childhood bullying, her mother’s chaotic lifestyle, and a fear of being judged by association. Laura’s understanding of her grandmother’s case changed after reading A Fine Day for a Hanging by Carol Ann Lee, which exposed the physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse Ruth endured by every significant man in her life.
That re-education marked a turning point. Laura chose to speak out, connecting a historic miscarriage of justice to today’s urgent conversations about violence against women and girls. Alongside this work, Laura has built a successful marketing career, holds a postgraduate certificate and is the mother of two daughters. She lived in Toronto before returning to the UK to course correct her grandmother’s legacy. Through her speaking, Laura offers a thoughtful, human perspective on justice, inherited trauma, and why these stories still matter today.
In July 2026, that work reached a landmark moment. Alongside her siblings, Laura secured a posthumous conditional pardon for Ruth from His Majesty The King, following advice from the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary. The pardon does not overturn Ruth’s conviction, but it formally acknowledges that she should not have been executed in the circumstances of her case - a recognition Laura’s family had sought for seventy years.
Content Themes Covered
- Generational trauma, identity and the cost of secrecy.
- Domestic abuse, coercive control and how law and culture have changed.
- The death penalty and the families left behind.
- Women, judgement and what “justice” looks like across generations.
Media Coverage
As featured across broadcast and print media.
Sky News
Sky’s Matt Barbet interviews Laura live following the news of Ruth’s conditional pardon.
Watch interview
BBC Radio 4
The World Tonight covers the pardon and its significance for domestic abuse cases.
Listen
Daily Mail
Laura on why Ruth doesn’t belong alongside serial killers in Madame Tussauds’ Chamber of Horrors.
Read interview
Good Morning Britain
Granddaughter of last hanged woman and grandson of sentencing judge meet for first time.
Watch interview
This Morning
Laura talks to Cat Deeley & Ben Shephard about the impact of the ITV drama, the campaign and the family’s hopes for a pardon.
Watch
BBC News
Ruth Ellis’s grandchildren launch a campaign to seek a pardon for the last woman hanged in Britain.
Listen
Pardon Campaign
- Government press release: last woman hanged in the UK pardoned, 70 years on
- Sky News: David Lammy announces the pardon in the House of Commons
- Mishcon de Reya: Ruth Ellis granted posthumous conditional pardon
- Video: A full circle moment for Mischon de Reya
- Mishcon de Reya instructed to pursue pardon for Ruth Ellis
- Government to review death sentence for last woman hanged in Britain
My Journey
The first time I became aware of my connection to Ruth, I was seven years old. It marked the start of decades of shame, secrecy and a determination to distance myself from the story.
Moving to Canada in 2020 gave me something I had not allowed myself for years. Space. Quiet. Time to think. For the first time, I found the language to understand what it means to grow up in the shadow of a public legacy.
Returning to the UK, I saw Ruth’s story through different eyes. Healing had shown me that where I stand today is shaped by the ripple effects of her execution. With my two daughters as my motivation, I became determined to break that cycle.
On 8 July 2026, that journey came full circle. Alongside my siblings, I secured a posthumous conditional pardon for Ruth from His Majesty The King. It does not undo what happened seventy years ago, or restore the years my family lost. But it says, formally and finally, that Ruth should not have been executed, and that acknowledgement matters more than I can put into words.
Gallery
Get in touch
For bookings, media requests, festivals, panels, podcasts, or speaking enquiries, please email hello@lauraenston.co.uk or click on the button below.