This free practitioner focussed event aims to take public law knowledge forward and to show how this field can help campaigners in Scotland. Organised by the Scottish Legal Action Group (SCOLAG), this one-day event aims to demystify the law and legal remedies in the field of judicial review. The event features an array of legal speakers who will address the current issues in the field. Lunch will be provided, and The Scottish Legal Action Group’s AGM (which attendees will be entitled to vote in following payment of a small subscription processed on the day) will also take place followed by a wine reception in celebration of the publication of a book in memory of the late founder of the group, Professor Ian Willock. The event qualifies as CPD. Contact scolagconference@gmail.com for further information. 

SPEAKER INFORMATION

Professor Tom Mullen of the University of Glasgow will provide the keynote speech. He has written and lectured on judicial review and public law extensively during his lengthy academic career. He has written at length on housing and homelessness law and assisted in the development of law centres. His work on judicial review includes consideration of public interest litigation, protective expenses orders and challenging the acts of the Scottish parliament for irrationality.  https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/law/staff/tommullen/

Rona McLeod: Practising Solicitor at Shelter Scottish housing law service and formerly solicitor at the Legal Services Agency. She has developed extensive knowledge of all areas of landlord and tenant law particularly defending evictions on all sectors with a specialist interest in equalities law and litigation. She has run many legally aided judicial review cases in the homelessness field.

Laura McDonagh: Partner at Drummond Miller and a specialist in Court of Session work particularly acting for all parties in judicial review applications. She has extensive experience in acting as Edinburgh agent in legally aided cases from all over Scotland. Her practice includes many public interest, housing, asylum, and social welfare judicial review cases.  https://www.drummondmiller.co.uk/about-us/our-people/laura-mcdonagh/

Andy Sirel: Legal Director & Partner of Just Right Scotland. Just Right is a national law centre based in Glasgow undertaking a wide range of complex immigration and asylum cases in which Andy specialises. He heads Just Right Scotland’s Refugee and Migrant Centre. He has worked at the Council of Europe and lectures at the University of Glasgow. He has served on a variety of Scottish Government and Law Society of Scotland committees.  linkedin.com/in/andy-sirel-968a1b57/

 Mike Dailly: Principal Solicitor & Solicitor Advocate at Govan Law Centre. He particularly concentrates on housing and social welfare law. During his lengthy career he has undertaken a very wide range of complex cases through courts and tribunals at most levels. He has a particular interest in community related judicial review and has campaigned on many issues including bank charges, tenants’ rights , warrant sales, and homelessness. He has drafted a number of Private Members Bills and is a noted legal journalist.

Alan McIntosh: Experienced Money Advisor. He writes and trains extensively on debt and money advice issues in Scotland. His work is available electronically as well as having been published by the Herald, the Journal of the Law Society of Scotland, as well as the SCOLAG Legal Journal.

Dr Ben Christman: Legal Director at The Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland. He specialises in judicial review remedies for environmental issues at formerly worked at the legal services agency undertaking homelessness and housing case work. He is a founding member Scottish Climate Emergency Legal Network. He has written widely on access to justice and related issues. https://www.ercs.scot/who-we-are/our-people/

Chris Ryan: Acting Principal Solicitor at Shelter Scotland’s Housing Law Service.  He has many year’s experience in all aspects of housing law in both public and private sectors. He has run many homelessness judicial review challgenges as well as very complex claims for compensation. He formerly ran the Legal Services Agencies Housing Law Department.

Paul Brown: Former Chief Executive and Principal Solicitor at LSA. He has practiced for over 40 years in housing and social welfare law. He has a number of publications in the field. 

Peter Robson: A former Professor of Social Welfare Law at the University of Strathclyde, he has written and taught widely on matters such as landlord and tenant law, housing law and social security law, the law’s interaction with architecture and the portrayal of the law in film and popular culture. He is a solicitor and sits as a part time judge in the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. He is the Co-Editor of the Ian Willock Collection of Law and Justice in the Twenty First Century.   https://atom.lib.strath.ac.uk/robson-peter

Lynda Clark, Baroness Clark of Calton PC, KC, PhD: former Advocate General for Scotland,  & Senator of the College of Justice. The Rt Hon Baroness Clark KC currently sits as a cross bench peer in the House of Lords. 

PROGRAMME

10-10:30 - Registration and Coffee. 

10:30-10:40 - Welcome by Eamon Keane upon behalf of SCOLAG and University of Glasgow. 

10:40-11:30 – Key Note Speech: Contemporary Principles on Enforcing Public Law Duties. How have the Arguments Developed? What Characterises the most Successful cases? By Professor Tom Mullen.

11:30-12:15 - Using Equalities Law to be more Effective in Obtaining Remedies in Housing and other Areas by Rona McLeod.

12.15-12:30 - Discussion.

12:30-1:30 - Lunch.

1:30-2:15 - Getting into Court: identifying legal arguments, accessing and instructing a solicitor, funding including legal aid, and the management of time limits. A description of the court process…. By Laura McDonagh. 

2:15-3:30 - WORKSHOPS. 

1-Refugee and asylum rights have been subject to unprecedented attacks. Can the courts mitigate the damage done? What are the campaign issues? By Andy Sirel. 

2-Cuts to public services, examples from community led campaigns including a discussion of successful Judicial review cases by Mike Dailly. 

3-How to battle your way through the system, instruct a solicitor, deal with legal aid bureaucracy and beat the time limits. A discussion of making sure you understand what is going on and what can be achieved. By Roddy Gibb. 

4- The role of the Advice Centre and Triage, what does a lay advisor need to know to help his or her community use the legal system. What sort of advice agencies are available ? How does funding affect their role? How are cut backs affecting the sector? By Alan McIntosh.

3:30-4:00 - Panel Discussion, where do we go from here ? 

Ben Christman and Chris Ryan will take part in the discussion chaired by Paul Brown with contributions from speakers on the day. 

4:15-4:45 AGM SCOLAG, chaired by Eamon Keane including election of a new committee (Further details provided on the day) 

4:45-6:30 Toasts in memory of Professor Ian Willock by the Rt Hon Baroness Clark of Calton & Professor Pete Robson, Formerly of Strathclyde University Law School.

Wine reception in celebration of Professor Willock and in celebration of publication of Law and Justice in the 21st Century. 

If you have any question about the event contact scolagconference@gmail.com