Whilst law schools and students across the country have continued to provide access to justice under the restrictions of COVID-19, special consideration was given to nominations that have been responsive to the issues and legal needs presented by the pandemic.

The Justice Hub was Highly Commended in the category ‘Best New Pro Bono Activity’ for their virtual vacation scheme, which saw 40 law students dedicate their free time to volunteer to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic in summer 2020.

Students who took part in the scheme produced short , aimed at advising the public in key legal areas that were impacted by the pandemic, such as housing, employment law and child arrangement.

The programme was so successful that the students involved also presented a further , which was attended by over 100 people and is available online.

Justice Hub Director, Dr Phil Drake, said: “This is fantastic news and testament to the innovation, hard work and collaboration of our students, volunteer lawyers, video producer, academics and professional services staff.”

The winners were announced in an online awards ceremony, taking place on the 12 May 2021.

In summer 2020, the Justice Hub ran the virtual vacation scheme, which saw 40 law students dedicate their free time to volunteer to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Students who took part in the scheme produced short , aimed at advising the public in key legal areas that were impacted by the pandemic, such as housing, employment law and child arrangement.

The programme was so successful that the students involved also presented a further , which was attended by over 100 people and is available online.

91直播 Law Society is made up of approximately 3600 members and supports legal associations and educational networks across 91直播. The Society hosts the annual 91直播 Legal Awards, this year celebrating the 12th annual awards ceremony. The Awards are an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the legal talent within the region of Manchester.

The Justice Hub was named a winner in the category ‘Best Pro Bono/Community Initiative of the Year’ after moving their services online to continue providing access to justice, despite COVID-19 restrictions.

Following the success of the scheme, the Justice Hub are now organising the next vacation scheme to take place this summer.

Justice Hub Director, Dr Phil Drake, said, “Giving back to the local community and creating lawyers and professionals of the future with a passion for assisting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged are two of the Justice Hub’s primary goals. It is therefore fantastic to be recognised by such a prestigious organisation as the 91直播 Law Society for the work that our staff, students and volunteer lawyers have undertaken over the last year.”

The event will specifically address legal and welfare issues that may affect anyone supporting someone to live well with dementia at home.

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With COVID-19 changing the world, carers of people with dementia have been particularly affected by the pandemic. An understanding of the law, what it means for carers and their legal rights has become even more important. The survey is part of The Legal Education Foundation’s Law for Dementia Carers (L4DC) project, which is helping carers to understand their legal rights and what the law might mean for them.

The Dementia Law Clinic provides advice for people living with dementia and those who help to care for them. Part of the Legal Advice Centre, the Clinic works alongside the health and social care charity Making Space to offer a holistic approach to providing legal and emotional support to families affected by dementia.

• Please take part in  

The Justice Hub network began life over 20 years ago as the  (LAC), based within the Law School. The past 20 years have seen the arrival of new initiatives and centres, including our Dementia Law Clinic, The Miscarriage of Justice Review Centre and cutting edge teaching and research within our Legal Technology Initiative. Bringing these projects together through the Justice Hub network has given our students a space to lay their foundations with holistic, autonomous and reflective experiences, whilst making real change happen in the community. The official launch event was a chance to celebrate the hard work of students and colleagues throughout the years, whilst focusing on the bright future that lies ahead for our Justice Hub.

The event kicked off with speeches and presentations from staff, students and our guest speaker, Human Rights Barrister Anna Morris. Neil Allen, Law Academic and Barrister, began proceedings with a short history of the Justice Hub, beginning with the founding of the LAC in 1999 to provide free legal advice to those in need. Over the past 20 years, the LAC has grown to include a number of exciting new projects, all aimed at improving access to justice for the vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged. Professor Claire McGourlay discussed the difficulties faced by pro bono services following legal aid cuts over the last seven years; Claire praised the students for their commitment against these challenges as our Justice Hub continues to expand to meet increasing demands.

Anna Morris shared stories from her own journey into human rights law, citing the importance of voluntary experience for students seeking a future career in the legal sector. The presentations were wrapped up by three of our student volunteers who spoke about the knowledge and understanding they have gained from working in the Justice Hub alongside clients facing complex, and often sensitive, legal problems.

Outside the Justice Hubs new home at 188 Waterloo Place, Professor April McMahon, Vice President for Teaching and Learning, cut the ribbon across the door as all attendees were invited in to celebrate the evening with a drinks reception and a chance to look around the Hub.

Christine Peacock, the Solicitor/Manager of the University’s Legal Advice Centre, acquired this case when two of the dismissed employees came to her employment law clinic at Bury Law Centre. As there is no Legal Aid available for this type of case and a private solicitor had been unhelpful, Christine decided to take it on with a group of ten students.

“Previously, our students have only provided advice in the form of a letter sent after a supervised interview,” said Christine. “This situation provided a great opportunity to take on a case and provide representation for a group of workers, using it to work with students as part of their educational development.”

The two initial clients were informed that the Legal Advice Centre would take on their case for no charge, provided they understood that they would work with supervised students as part of their development. They happily agreed, and after contacting their former colleagues, another 19 agreed to take part.

The students liaised with the clients to obtain the information needed to lodge their claims, as well as checking the payments they were receiving from the Insolvency Service - many of these were incorrect, and were increased as a result.

As it became clear that the clients could not then gain any more benefit by continuing with their claims for redundancy pay, unfair dismissal, notice pay and holiday pay (as the company was by then insolvent), the clients were advised that they could still win a protective award for the failure to consult in a collective redundancy situation. So the students worked to draft a witness statement, and prepared a bundle of documents in preparation for a hearing.

The former directors of the company did not contest the case, so the judge awarded the dismissed workers 90 days’ gross pay (the maximum award permissible) without a hearing. In total, around £150,000 was won as a result of running this case with the involvement of our students.

“It is clear that completely inexperienced students have achieved a great deal for clients who would have otherwise had no-one to represent them and who would have been denied their legal entitlements,” said Christine. “This illustrates the value of pro bono work, and the very real impact of the limits on access to justice for so many ordinary people.”

Original article released April 2018.

“Many lawyers who undertake pro bono work see it as their chance to give back to the community. I have a very high regard for the selflessness of those who provide support to people who are in particular need of legal advice and assistance but cannot afford it.

“It is impressive to see the innovative projects 91直播 Legal Advice Centre have developed to increase the provision of free legal advice in their community. The standard of the Dementia Law Clinic demonstrates a true commitment to increasing access to justice to those in need.

“They have illustrated the power of technology in connecting with those who cannot attend a traditional clinic. Their efforts certainly highlight the creativity and resourcefulness of the UK’s aspiring lawyers.”

Original article released October 2016.

The University of Manchester School of Law was one of the big winners at the Making a Difference Awards on 2 May 2019, which recognises the outstanding achievements of students, staff, alumni and external partners.

Scooping five prizes across four categories, the School was recognised for outstanding teaching innovation in social responsibility, outstanding national and international public and community engagement, outstanding contribution to environmental sustainability, and outstanding contribution to widening participation, taking home both the judges award and the public vote in this category.

This success demonstrates the School’s commitment to social responsibility and social justice, and harnessing its expertise to contribute to the social responsibility priorities of the University of Manchester.

Criminology academics Dr Emily Turner, Dr Rose Broad and Dr Caroline Miles were the first winners of the night, taking home with prize for Outstanding Teaching Innovation in Social Responsibility for their successful Undergraduate programme Learning Criminology Inside, which gave a student cohort the chance to participate in teaching sessions with inmates at HMP Risley.

The second success for the School was awarded to Fintan Walker and the team at the Legal Advice Centre who were Highly Commended in the category of Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Sustainability for their paperless initiative. In 2018, in a bid to reduce their impact on the environment, the Legal Advice Centre went completely paperless, using an software-based case management system to store files electronically rather than on paper.

Law academics Professor Claire McGourlay and Fintan Walker were named winners of the Outstanding National and International Public and Community Engagement Initiative award for their work on the Miscarriages of Justice Review Centre. The MJRC gives students the opportunity to investigate cases of people convicted of serious crimes who are maintaining their innocence. The Centre at the School of Law is one of only four such centres in Law Schools nationwide.

Finally, Widening Participation Officer Saba Mirshafiei was a double award winner on the night, winning both the judges award and the first ever public vote in the category Outstanding Contribution to Widening Participation for her leadership of the Sutton Trust-funded Pathways to Law scheme at the University of Manchester. The top tiers of the legal profession are drawn from a very narrow range of social backgrounds, the Pathways scheme aims to widen access to the profession for those students who might never have considered a legal career, raising their aspirations and confidence, and equipping them with the skills to study for a degree in law.

The School of Law also celebrated the success of four students who were awarded prizes at the Volunteer of the Year awards for their dedication to volunteering opportunities within the local community.

These awards demonstrate the School’s commitment to social responsibility and the dedication of staff and students to making a difference in the community.

Working alongside Liz Perry, a solicitor at Kirklees Citizens’ Advice and Law Centre, they represented the parents of a 21-year-old man with a learning disability living in supported accommodation. The parents had grown concerned for their son’s safety, as his trusting and compulsive behavioural tendencies would put him in harm’s way, because while unsupervised, he would disregard online warnings and access pornographic, and in some cases, illegal content, and this online footprint put him into contact with known sex offenders.

The role of the court is to determine whether people are able to make decisions and, if not, to decide what is in their best interests. On the one hand, while more vulnerable individuals might be putting themselves in danger with untethered internet access, it was made clear that access to this technology is not only a right guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, but it plays a crucial role in social inclusion.

“Advances in cyber and digital technology continue to outrun society’s ability to monitor or control it, and, to an extent, the law’s ability to keep pace with its development,” said Mr Justice Cobb. “The internet is, or can be, a dangerous place; it has a dark side, where dehumanising and illegal material (including images, pseudo-images, videos, live-streaming and text) is all too readily accessible. Internet abuse can take many forms: bullying, harassment, child sexual abuse, sexual grooming, trafficking, trolling and the theft of personal identity among them. These activities thrive when they are left unchecked. Ironically, dating ‘apps’ and social media sites may feel safe to some because they pose no immediate threat of violence; however, it is well-recognised that the more insidious threats posed by sexual predators, and those who prey on the wider vulnerabilities of the young, the learning disabled, the needy and the incautious, are no less (indeed they are potentially more) harmful at least in part because of their pervasive nature.”

In a judgment which has far-reaching implications for both children and adults, the judge had to decide how to determine whether someone has the capacity to understand the consequences of their internet and social media usage.

Because of the 21-year-old in question’s difficulty with flexible adaptive reasoning, he lacked this understanding. As a result, restrictions could be used in his best interests under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to keep him safe.

It was decided that his iPad usage was to be supervised by carers and limited each day and his mobile contract was financially capped and had no internet access, and staff could check his mobile to support him if he received any unwanted text messages and to ensure he was not engaging in inappropriate communications. These restrictions will enable him to safely use the internet and social media, protecting him from online risks.

At a time when the risks of using the internet and social media are very much the centre of political attention, the judgment will go some way to enable people to safely use the internet. The Judge also highlighted that “while it is a crime to incite hatred because of religion or race, it is not presently a crime to incite hatred because of disability” adding that those pressing for change in legislation in this regard have “a compelling case”.

The School of Law is immensely proud of the students that worked on this case and would like to especially thank Liz Perry for supporting the parents in these proceedings.

The LAC has been shortlisted in the category ‘In-House Team of the Year’ for demonstrating an ability to work and engage with staff, students and external colleagues with different levels and areas of expertise and experience to deliver exceptional client outcomes. They have also been shortlisted for the ‘Diversity and Inclusion Award’ showing a strong commitment to the promotion of diversity and inclusion through their work with the . The Legal Advice Centre works hard to promote an environment that is free from discrimination and create pathways into legal careers for all of our student volunteers.

The Eclipse Modern Law Awards are entering their sixth year and were created to celebrate and identify talent and success in entrepreneurship along with best practice in modern legal services. It is an honour just to be shortlisted for the awards and testament to the brilliant work by our staff, students and volunteers at the Legal Advice Centre. The School would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and wish the LAC the best of luck at the awards!