Equalities watchdog starts search for counsel for £5m legal services panel

The Equality & Human Rights Commission has launched the selection exercise for a new panel of counsel for legal services worth up to £5m over four years.

The EHRC said the services – including representation and advice – would “support advisory, influencing, regulatory and enforcement work across the equality and human rights spheres, including strategic litigation in domestic and European courts”.

The Commission said it was seeking counsel with a range of levels of experience, up to and including QC, and hoped that applicants would come forward from as broad a range of backgrounds as possible.

The equalities watchdog added that it hoped to achieve a panel with geographical diversity to help support stakeholder engagement across Wales, Scotland and the English regions and to assist with the development of its pipeline of cases.

“All successful applicants should have a reasonable expectation of receiving work from us during the new framework agreement,” the EHRC said. The contract is worth between £1m and £5m.

Advocates and solicitor advocates from across Scotland and barristers and solicitor advocates from all circuits in England and Wales have been encouraged to apply.

The deadline for receipt of completed applications including two references is 1 pm on Thursday the 15th of January 2015.

The contract is expected to run from 2 February 2015 to 1 February 2019.