Top law assistance UK? Rev. Dane Marks and co-founders launch The Community Law Project UK Ltd to help people facing legal issues get support. Court statistics for England and Wales for the year 2019 have reported 4.2 million cases where 2.0 million from civil courts, 1.5 million from magistrates, 393,000 from tribunals, 266,000 from family courts and 104,000 from crown courts.
These statistics shows that the majority of the cases are civil and family cases and this high volume may tend to unnecessary amounts of outstanding cases, longer waiting times, costs to both the government and the parties who are present at the court. This shows the necessity of an advancement in the current court system with information technology and related solutions.
The co-founders, Rev. Dane Marks, Daniel Onafuwa and Samantha Yarwood and the genius and passionate team of Law Students and Graduates have come together to offer their support for minimal fees to assist people facing legal issues. The team will offer their support in helping compile evidence, draft case notes and find legal representation to support people in the poorest and most marginalised areas. They will also offer low cost support to law firms and barristers to enable them to focus on their cases.
Rev. Dane Marks explains, ‘since studying law and learning the issues of people facing legal problems and the problems the courts are having with the current backlogs, we will help in the best way we can.’
In the initial stage of implementation, The Courts Online will be used for less complicated court cases. Family courts and county courts will be considered on this phase and will identify any further development points before going to the next Implementation stage. According to the plan laid out by The Community Law Project UK Ltd, grant funding, equity crowdfunding, institutional investments and owner funds will fulfil the capital requirement for the platform’s development. Management of the Community Law Project UK Ltd. is willing to register two separate companies for the two platforms for better control and expansion in the future. The Courts Online claims to be a fully integrated, dedicated online court platform allowing the Judiciary to deal with cases online. The venue is a highly secure, interactive, and much needed integrated system that will be licensable to selected members to cut costs and ensure a smooth process of court proceedings. See additional information at community based legal company.
Partner spotlight: Lawyers Without Borders (LWOB) is an international charitable organisation which aims to protect human rights and promote the rule of law. The organisation is made up of lawyers from around the world who provide pro bono services to access to justice and human rights initiatives. The importance of the organisation in upholding human rights, ensuring legal integrity and raising awareness has been seen globally in relation to issues such as human trafficking, wildlife crime and child labour. The Lawyers Without Borders Society is the Cardiff Student Division of LWOB, and aims to raise awareness about human rights and the rule of law in relation to national and international issues. The Society holds fundraising events and conducts awareness campaigns (including debates and panel events) throughout the year. The Society also runs a newsletter, The Justicia, which discusses topical human rights issues. Furthermore, the Society undertakes pro bono research tasks and media projects for LWOB, and has competed in the LWOB Annual Rule of Law Innovation Challenge.
The issues have been excruciatingly increased due to the global pandemic, which has severely impacted the most vulnerable even more so. The negative ramifications have affected the legal industry, particularly law firms. This has in turn impacted the futures of many young legal professionals seeking work. Many internships have been cancelled or postponed, leaving many in the field out of work, particularly recent graduates. Many law firms on top of the legal aid cuts and the results of the pandemic, do not have the capacity or resources to take on the ever-growing number of cases that these low-income people want to bring forth. We sought a solution to solve all these issues at once. See even more information at https://communitylawproject.com/.
