A London law centre will be able to provide greater support to vulnerable clients after taking the unusual step of bidding for a criminal legal aid contract.
Director Pamela Fitzpatrick told the Gazette that Harrow Law Centre, which was set up in 2010, has grown in civil areas such as housing, immigration and welfare benefits. But over the years, the centre has noticed an increasing number of clients who are victims of crime or at risk of being wrongly criminalised.
Harrow was the first law centre to establish, three years ago, a Victims of Crime project, driven by the experiences of clients, particularly people who had experienced hate crime or sexual assault and felt they had been failed by the statutory authorities.
In the early months of lockdown, the centre was contacted by clients who had been stopped and searched, causing tension between residents of the diverse community and police. The centre teamed up with a community group to hold sessions on what to do and how to behave if they are stopped and searched, and on their rights.
Further highlighting the need for holistic support, Fitzpatrick said many young residents move from borough to borough due to their housing situation. They might get picked on by gang members at their new school and become so frightened they start carrying a weapon. Inevitably, the weapon is discovered and they risk getting expelled, which could send them down a path of crime.
The centre has seen many clients accused of benefit fraud who are, for instance, struggling single parents or have mental health issues.
Previously, the centre would send clients to law firms doing criminal legal aid – which has become increasingly difficult as the number of providers shrinks. Once its crime contract begins next month, the centre will be able to support clients with ‘poverty-related criminal law matters’.
Fitzpatrick said the crime contract marks a 'natural progression'.
To secure the one-year contract, the centre had to recruit extra staff. The contract required the centre to recruit a full-time criminal supervisor. It is also recruiting a solicitor on a part-time basis to begin with.
Fitzpatrick hopes more law centres will bid for criminal legal aid work in the next procurement round. ‘Law centres have a particular way of dealing with people, being rooted within the community. We’re trusted in many ways.’
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