Manchester Public Law Pro Bono Scheme opens doors for business

A free drop-in centre has been launched in Manchester’s Civil Justice centre to provide advice and legal representation on disputes with public bodies.

The Manchester Public Law Pro Bono Scheme has the backing of Kings Chambers, Irwin Mitchell and the University of Manchester.

It will advise people on a wide range of issues, such as eviction from council housing to bringing judicial review proceedings against a planning decision.

Sam Karim, a barrister at Kings Chambers and director of the scheme, said: “The drop-in centre is precisely the type of service needed at a time like this when government austerity measures have severely cut back on legal aid.

“The Ministry of Justice has made £350m of cuts and this has left many deserving people without any recourse to the court system simply because they can no longer afford it. The result is that people increasingly have to represent themselves as litigants in person, which is a daunting prospect even for the most determined individual.”