GREAT TEESSIDER
Teesside grit- Ann Ming MBE speaks after receiving a Lifetime Contribution accolade at the Tees Businesswomen Awards.
Ann Ming: the Teesside woman who changed the law
I FOUGHT
“
I didn’ t do any of it for recognition – I did it for justice for my daughter.”
Those words define Ann Ming MBE more than any honour she has ever received.
In late 2025, the creators of This Is Tees Valley recognised her remarkable contribution by presenting her with the prestigious Professor Jane Turner Award for Outstanding Contribution at the Tees Businesswomen Awards – honouring a Teessider whose courage and determination changed British law and helped countless other families seek justice.
Originally from Billingham and now living in Norton, Ann became the driving force behind the campaign to reform the centuries-old double jeopardy law after her daughter Julie’ s killer initially escaped justice.
“ When my daughter’ s killer was bragging he’ d killed her and the police said nothing could be done because of the double jeopardy law, an 800-year-old law wasn’ t going to stand in my way,” she said. It was a promise she kept. For 17 years, Ann campaigned tirelessly to change the law, refusing to let Julie’ s story be forgotten. She wrote to politicians, appeared in documentaries and relentlessly argued that justice should not be denied when compelling new evidence emerged.
Eventually, the law was changed, allowing acquitted suspects to be retried in exceptional circumstances. Julie
THE LAW
Hogg’ s killer was finally convicted in 2006.
Yet Ann has always insisted her campaign was never about personal recognition.
“ I didn’ t do any of it for recognition – I did it for justice for my daughter. Every time there’ s a double jeopardy case – and there ' ve been 16 after ours – I’ m so pleased I carried on for everyone else’ s sake.
“ I knew that law had to be looked at and changed. I’ m glad I did it, despite the knockbacks from different politicians along the way.”
She admitted there were moments when progress felt painfully slow.
“ It often felt like one step forward, two steps back – every politician who opposed it, I thought, ' Dear me, I’ ll have to write to them’.
“ My MP at the time, Frank Cook, was good because he kept me in touch with who was opposing it when they were doing smaller debates. I thought to myself,‘ I’ m going to stick at it and try to win them around’.”
Ann’ s extraordinary campaign later reached a wider audience through the ITV drama I Fought The Law, in which Sheridan Smith portrayed her battle for justice.
Reflecting on the series, Ann said:“ There were only four episodes but 17 years of my life were packed into them.
“ I was pleased with it because they couldn’ t have got anyone better than Sheridan Smith to play me – even I thought she was me at some points!“ She portrayed it very well – and it made you see that even if you’ re just an ordinary person like me, if you stick at something, you can do things you maybe don’ t think possible.”
Sheridan Smith later paid her own tribute.
She said:“ It was an honour to play Ann in I Fought The Law.
“ Not only is she a formidable woman and has shown great determination in changing the double jeopardy law so that she could get justice for her beloved Julie, along with 16 other families, the drama only shows a small amount of the heartache that Ann and her family have endured. And yet they all continue to fight for justice.”
Despite changing the law and receiving national recognition, Ann has remained characteristically humble.
When she was presented with the Professor Jane Turner Award, she admitted she had“ no idea” it was coming.
“ I thought the lady presenting it was going to talk about Teesside University – I never dreamed it was going to be me. I got the shock of my life!”
Then, in typical fashion, she turned the spotlight away from herself.
“ It just shows how many strong women there are on Teesside.”
It was a fitting sentiment from a woman whose own strength has left one of the greatest and most enduring legacies any Teessider has ever achieved.
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