TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW: Legal Aid and the Future of Free Access to Justice: An event by the Greater Manchester Law Centre with Lord Bach, Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon, Young Legal Aid Lawyers Vice-Chair Siobhán Taylor-Ward and Joe Mensah-Dankwah of Black Solicitors Network.
Book your tickets now! Click here.
Tickets are in high demand so we urge to to book now to avoid disappointment.
Friday 20th April 2018, 18:00-20:00.
With thanks to the University of Law for their venue just off Piccadilly Gardens: 2 New York St, Manchester M1 4HJ.
Find the facebook event here.
Join us on 20th April as we discuss the current state of Legal Aid, the impact of the political changes, the challenges faced by the next generation of social welfare lawyers and our hope for the future.
Lord William Bach was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice, and he was elected the Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner in 2016. Crucially, he chaired the Bach Commission, which published its report on Legal Aid and access to justice in Autumn 2017. With an impressive and expert team of commissioners and extensive engagement with people’s experiences, the final report proposed a statutory right to justice and other systemic reforms. This work is of particular importance because of the impending Governmental review of Legal Aid cuts.
Joe Mensah-Dankwah is a senior solicitor at Foresters Solicitors and Board Member of the Black Solicitors Network. He specialises in criminal defence, in particular joint enterprise murder, drugs cases and defending young people. The Black Solicitors Network is the primary voice of black solicitors in England and Wales; committed to achieving equality of access, retention and promotion of black solicitors.
Siobhán Taylor-Ward is Vice-Chair of Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL). YLAL is a group of lawyers who are committed to practising in those areas of law, both criminal and civil, that have traditionally been publicly funded. They campaign for a sustainable legal aid system which provides good quality legal help to those who could not otherwise afford to pay for it and fight to increase social mobility and diversity within the legal aid sector. Siobhán is also a tireless campaigner for access to justice, having worked on the Hillsborough inquest and the Orgreave Justice campaign.
Richard Burgon is the Member of Parliament for Leeds East. He is also the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Lord Chancellor. He recently declared a ‘battle to reverse Legal Aid cuts’. In response to the Bach Commission’s Report he stated that he is “excited by the idea in the report of a new, legally enforceable right to justice to match our rights to healthcare and education”.
If you are a barrister who has held a practising certificate for less than three years, you can claim CPD for attending this event. More information available here.
Please contact development@gmlaw.org.uk for any questions.
