A woman from Barrowford, who made a short film about the Pendle witch trials, is backing a campaign to posthumously pardon those convicted for witchcraft offences in Great Britain.

Emma Swinton is part of the Justice for Witches campaign and is urging the public to sign a petition, created by Charlotte Meredith, to pardon those convicted hundreds of years ago.

Emma, who made a short film about the infamous Pendle witch trials which took place in 1612, said 10,000 signatures are needed before January 13, in order to bring the matter to parliament.

At the time of writing it has more than 7,300 signatures.

She said: “It is the first time a petition of this kind has got these kind of numbers.

“It was started by Charlotte, who I met her at an event on the anniversary of the Pendle witches’ hanging.

“She was handing out flyers about her petition and I asked her if she needed any help. Now there is a small group of us who are working together and in the community.”

Emma has always been passionate about the witch trials, having to research the Pendle trials for her film The Witch’s Daughter.

Emma said: “The Pendle witch trials were the most prolific in England. As I am from Pendle this matter is really close to my heart.

“It feels bigger than me and it feels like the work I need to do, I feel that fire of injustice.

“I have been campaigning since August or September last year and I have been seeking out people I can campaign with

“I want to be more active in the community and be more hands on, in order to help those people be pardoned for witchcraft.”

In 1542 Parliament passed the Witchcraft Act which defined witchcraft as a crime punishable by death. It was repealed five years later, but restored by a new Act in 1562.  

A further law was passed in 1604 during the reign of James I who took a keen interest in demonology and even published a book on it. The 1562 and 1604 Acts transferred the trial of 'witches' from the church to the ordinary courts.  

Those convicted under the act have never been pardoned and witch trails still take place across the world, in the modern day.

Emma said: “They were everyday people who were caught up in a political game that was bigger than themselves. It was all just a web of corruption

“They weren’t witches. They were normal people and mums, sisters, brothers and children were imprisoned, hanged for months, starved, tortured. It was cruel and they deserve to be pardoned.

“People ask me ‘why does it matter now’ and I just think why does somebody’s life hundreds of years ago matter any less than somebody’s life now?

“They were still human beings and have just as much of a right to justice as anyone.

“Witch trial go on today, people are being killed and are having to go into hiding. and the UK needs to set a precedent to say witch trials aren’t okay and what we did in the past wasn’t okay.

“It is not just as a matter of the past it is very much a part of our present.

“We are so close to hitting target and it would be great to rally the troops and get the last signatures needed.”

To view the petition visit the Government website.