Campaign launched to promote the meaning & value of civil legal aid

Donal Lunny KC, Chair of the Bar of Northern Ireland has said that promoting the value and meaning of Legal Aid in civil matters is vital, as the Bar launched a series of explainer videos on Civil Legal Aid.

The launch of the explainer videos followed the commencement of a review of Civil Legal Aid by the Department of Justice, with the Bar submitting a detailed response advocating for a positive, proud, and strategic vision for publicly funded legal services in the civil sphere.

The series of explainer videos were published this week on the Bar of Northern Ireland social media channels, having been previewed by members of the Stormont All-Party Group on Access to Justice earlier this month. The All-Party Group on Access to Justice met to discuss the Review of Civil Legal Aid and heard from Sonya McMullan of Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland, Brian Archer, representing the Law Society of Northern Ireland, and Donal Lunny KC, Chair of the Bar of Northern Ireland.

Donal Lunny KC picked up on the importance of initiating a better-informed discussion on the provision of Civil Legal Aid, the economic and social value of Civil Legal Aid, and its connection with access to justice, saying:

“Civil Legal Aid is critical to many thousands of people right across Northern Ireland in seeking access to justice and dealing with important life challenges, such as family breakdown, immigration matters, personal injuries, and housing crisis.

“Yet, Civil Legal Aid can also be undervalued and while the wider public may have a degree of knowledge and awareness of how our criminal courts operate, the same cannot be said of the important matters often at stake in civil proceedings.

“The Bar of Northern Ireland is committed to promoting the value and meaning of Civil Legal Aid and fostering a better-informed discussion on the subject matter. It is hoped that these explainer videos may go some way in doing that.”

Donal Lunny KC concluded: “With the Review of Civil Legal Aid ongoing, we continue to highlight the role of the independent referral Bar in delivering Civil Legal Aid in a way which assists citizens through life’s challenges, takes a problem-solving approach and delivers value for money.”

You can view the explainer videos on the Bar of Northern Ireland Linkedin and X channels.

ENDS

Media Contact

Sinead McIvor - 07701302498