Law reform charity unveils plans for a new North of England division
A law reform charity has announced plans to establish a north of England division to give individuals, communities and organisations in the region a greater voice in shaping UK law and policy.
JUSTICE is a cross-party charity which works to build a fairer justice system based on evidence-based law reform.
Its membership base ranges from students to senior judges across the UK, and its work spans the entire justice system, from family and housing law to policing, benefits decision-making and more.
Chief executive Fiona Rutherford said JUSTICE aims to establish a northern hub within the next six to 12 months, following consultation and engagement with communities, policymakers, businesses and other stakeholders.
She announced the initiative at a ‘Journey to Justice’ event at Liverpool Town Hall.
The event, organised with Liverpool law firm Broudie Jackson Canter, attracted almost 200 lawyers, community leaders and charity representatives.
Broudie Jackson Canter, which is part of the Jackson Lees Group, is the longest-standing law firm member of JUSTICE, having joined in 1963.
Fiona said: “We believe justice must serve all communities, and this means reaching beyond the ambit of Westminster and not only in the courts, but also through the decisions of bodies such as local councils, housing authorities and NHS trusts with which the public interact on a daily basis.
“We are pleased to unveil our plan to expand our presence with a new division dedicated to the north of England, under the banner of JUSTICE North.
“This serves demonstrate our commitment and reinforce our efforts to drive evidence-based reform in all parts of the country, ensuring that the voices of those in the region are heard in shaping policy and justice system improvements which impact people every day.
“For too long, Westminster has let down communities in the north who have long sought truth and justice. This must change. JUSTICE North will work to ensure that communities here are at the heart of shaping a fairer, more effective legal system. There is a clear, unmet need for a trusted, independent and expert voice.”
She added that the success of JUSTICE North will be subject to securing critical funds necessary to hit the ground running.
JUSTICE has as its goal building a fairer UK justice system within everyone’s reach, based on firmly establishing the rule of law as a key feature of our democracy, challenging discrimination and inequality, building a well-functioning justice system with trustworthy and effective data management, and increasing public understanding of the importance of the justice system.
Broudie Jackson Canter has a long history of helping individuals and groups to obtain access to justice, and the pro bono work of its team was instrumental in getting former prime minister Boris Johnson to agree to a statutory public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The firm has also played a key role in the campaign for the Hillsborough Law, which will create a duty of candour on public authorities to help reduce injustices and provide parity of representation.
It will mean that officials or organisations which mislead or obstruct investigations could face criminal sanctions.
Esther Leach, managing director of Jackson Lees Group, said: “As the longest-standing corporate members of JUSTICE, I am thrilled that they chose our event to announce the opening of a northern hub.
“We’re proud of our history fighting for justice in the north west, and we remain as passionate about upholding the rule of law today as we were when the firm first started.”
The Journey to Justice event featured powerful testimonies from people directly impacted by systemic injustices.
Speakers included Margaret Aspinall, chair of the former Hillsborough Family Support Group, Matt Fowler, founder of the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice UK campaign group, and Shane Smith, a Liverpool-based advocate and campaigner on the Windrush scandal, who all detailed the obstacles they have faced in their pursuit of truth and accountability.
The event went on to hear from an expert panel chaired by former ITV home affairs editor and political campaigner Jennifer Nadel. The panel comprised former shadow attorney general Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne, Broudie Jackson Canter solicitor Elkan Abrahamson, head of the firm’s major inquests and inquiries team, and award-winning civil liberties barrister Christian Weaver.
They discussed a range of issues examining the most pressing injustices in the UK today and why it often takes so long to address them, as well as the vital role that lawyers, journalists and whistleblowers play in calling out injustices, and how society can be empowered to challenge injustice more effectively.
The event concluded with Pete Weatherby KC and Elkan, two of the architects of the Hillsborough Law, reflecting on the path to making the law a reality. It will impose a duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries.
Elkan told the audience that he hopes and expects the new legislation matches the assurances given by ministers.
Jackson Lees Group is part of MAPD Group, which was founded by Brian Cullen and Joanna Kingston-Davies in 2020 to power the growth of local law firms nationally through acquisition. The initials stand for Making a Positive Difference.