In January 2019, Martin Barnes CEO of Lawworks was appointed as a member of the Civil Justice Council (CJC), the body that advises Government on civil justice.
“I am delighted to be have been appointed as lay advice member for the CJC; advice and pro bono charities support our civil justice system by assisting people to resolve and providing legal information, advice and representation.”
Our LawWorks policy voice emphasises that pro bono, whist making a valuable contribution to access to justice and exemplifying the profession’s commitment to equality before the law, cannot replace publicly funded legal aid provision (whether private practice or law centres and advice agency networks). Through our policy work we are able to provide a voice for pro bono, and channel the expertise and data of members and clinics to influence how civil justice evolves.
We see civil justice in a wider context about people understanding and asserting their rights with appropriate legal support. With increasing numbers of litigants in person LawWorks is an active partner in the Litigant in Person Support Strategy, for example: connecting clinics with other support provision such as court-based Personal Support Units; and collaborating to make the civil justice system more accessible.
Last December we took part in the CJC’s “National Forum on Access to Justice for those without means”. We are also continuing our work as the Secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Public Legal Education and Pro Bono, which has elected Alex Chalk MP and Christina Rees MP as co-chairs.
The three main strands of our work on civil justice are:
- Making the case for publicly funded legal support – for example through the LASPO Review – alongside encouraging pro bono;
- Court modernisation – for example, responding to the Justice Select Committee on HMTCS reform;
- Promoting public legal education (PLE) – including work with the Solicitor General’s Office on a new public legal education vision.