Pro Bono Week 2018

The Bar of Northern Ireland is delighted to support this year’s Pro Bono Week 2018 which will run from Monday 22nd until Friday 26th October.

Pro bono legal work has always been an integral part of the membership of the Bar and gives an opportunity to recognise the voluntary contribution of legal professionals who provide access to justice, along with meeting otherwise unmet legal requirements and free legal aid to those in need. This work is always only an adjunct to, and not a substitute for a proper system of publicly-funded legal services and the Bar of NI and its partner accredited advice agencies are committed to working for the improvement of this, alongside representation for appropriate cases.

The Bar of Northern Ireland Pro Bono Unit provides free legal advice and representation on a referral by advice agencies, accredited by the Bar of Northern Ireland, or by Solicitors working on a Pro Bono basis. Our barristers provide this help to individuals or community groups who cannot afford to pay for that advice or representation and where legal aid or other funding is not available.

Pro Bono legal work can involve:

• Giving advice either in the form of a written opinion or verbal advice at consultation; or

• Representing individuals or community groups in any Court or Tribunal in Northern Ireland, or in the European Court of Justice or the European Court of Human Rights or the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom when the cause or matter being adjudicated upon emanates from Northern Ireland; or

• Providing assistance with mediation.

Annually our barristers provide in excess of 500 hours of pro bono services and over the past 3 years we have considered almost 50 cases with around one third being able to receive assistance.

We have had several successes over the years especially in family cases and in the chancery court.