A Curious Invitation present London Month of the Dead
The X Trials
THE X TRIALS
A Forensic History of the Supernatural with Naomi Ryan

Saturday 15th October 2022 at 3:30 pm

Many people believe that witches, ghosts, aliens and demons belong in the realm of folklore; that they are fantastical beings that never cross into the sensible and respectable world of government or law. However for centuries people have relied on superstitious beliefs to understand the world around them and they have attributed unexplained events to these mythical creatures. But such mysteries also demand forensic examination. The courts (and, on occasion, the government) cannot avoid a case simply because it appears to involve the supernatural. Instead, they must subject it to the same harsh, legal scrutiny as any other case. Throughout history they have been confronted by an array of strange events from witches leaking war secrets to ghosts solving their own murders. They have even considered a demon mongoose slandering a BBC employee.

Join Naomi Ryan for a close look at some of the strangest cases in legal history in which the Fortean meets the forensic, the bizarre is examined by barristers and the strange is investigated by the state, and find out whether these hallowed forums and great legal minds were able to solve the mysteries.

Tickets £12 including a 20% donation toward a host of restoration projects at Kensal Green Cemetery.

Naomi Ryan
Naomi Ryan is a criminal lawyer. After qualifying with a Masters in Law from St Catherine’s College, Oxford, she taught criminal law to undergraduates at St Hilda’s College Oxford and University College London before embarking on her career as a criminal barrister, where she both prosecuted and defended. She now works as an advisory lawyer on criminal matters within the civil service.



Image credit - Naked man being attacked by little demons; watercolour by R. Cooper, approximately 1912. Public domain courtesy of Wellcome Collection.

Kensal Green Cemetery