Access to Justice and Public Law Litigation Funding: Addressing a Rule of Law Challenge
Date: 13 November 2023
Time: 15.00 - 18.00 (Registration from 14.30) | Followed by a Reception
Venue: BIICL, Charles Clore House, 17 Russell Sq London WC1B 5JP
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Event Details
Public law litigation, which includes but is not limited to judicial review, is an essential tool for upholding the Rule of Law. It enables individuals to ensure that public authorities do not exceed their legal powers or follow unfair procedures in their dealings with them. However, only a small minority of people can afford to bring public law cases at their own expense. Legal aid is far from comprehensive, and therefore many people with winnable cases lack access to justice. Assessing potential cases and raising funding for them have become urgent concerns.
This roundtable has been convened by Dr Jan van Zyl Smit, Acting Director, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, and Professor Duncan Fairgrieve, Senior Fellow in Comparative Law and Director of the Product Liability Forum at BIICL.
Pricing and Registration
This event is open to invited guests only. If you have received an invitation please book using the button below.
Programme
2.30 - 3.00 Registration
3.00 - 3.10 Welcome
3.10 - 4.25 Panel 1 - Bringing a case
This panel will take a hard look at how decisions are made about bringing a case against a public body. The panel will include representatives of an involved NGO, a specialist public interest law firm, and a commercial law firm that commits to pro bono support. Consideration will include the difficult decisions that have to be made when good cases are sometimes not brought.
Confirmed speakers
- Shameem Ahmad, CEO, Public Law Project
- Yasmin Waljee OBE, International Pro Bono Partner, Hogan Lovells
- Professor Tom Hickman KC, Blackstone Chambers and University College London
- Raju Bhatt, Founding Partner, Bhatt Murphy
Chair: Tim Cowen, Law For Change
BREAK
4.45 - 6.00 Panel 2 - Funding a case
This panel will focus on how hard it is to fund such cases, involving philanthropic investors, commercial litigation funders/insurers and crowd source specialists. It will consider the factors that deter cases as well as reviewing the most cost-effective routes when cases are brought.
Confirmed speakers:
- Jolyon Maugham KC, Executive Director, Good Law Project
- Adrian Chopin, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Bench Walk Advisor
- Professor Joe Tomlinson, University of York
- Maria McCloskey, The PILS Project
