Solicitors invited to help research into legal aid for victims of discrimination in Scotland

Solicitors invited to help research into legal aid for victims of discrimination in Scotland

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has invited solicitors to contribute to a research project looking at whether legal aid for discrimination cases provides effective access to justice for people who have suffered discrimination in Scotland.

The equality body also wants to hear from anyone who has experienced discrimination in Scotland since January 2016, as well as organisations and groups who support people who experience discrimination.

The research project will consider issues such as:

  • How discrimination cases are funded by legal aid;
  • How many people receive legal aid funding for discrimination claims, including representation or assistance with bringing a case in a court or tribunal, and how this compares with the number of individuals who seek advice about discrimination;
  • Whether there are barriers to effective access to legal aid;
  • Whether some individuals experience specific difficulties in accessing legal aid, for example language or literacy difficulties, or because of a disability; and
  • Whether improvements could be made to reduce barriers and improve access to justice.

Any solicitors interested in taking part should contact the Scotland Research team at Scotland@equalityhumanrights.com or 0141 2285910.

The closing date for survey responses is midnight on 14 April 2019.

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