PLE news
A round up of recent activities in the world of public legal education.
In this section, we have information about recent work, events, research reports, essays, awards and and other news items that reach us from time to time.
Better information at court
Advicenow has carried out a survey of people who work with self-representing litigants, and assessed a sample of court forms and related notes and leaflets. This article by Martin Jones, the director of Law for Life reviews their findings. The conclusion paints a worrying picture of ineffective guidance and poor quality information. Advicenow’s recommendations are highlighted offering the Court Service practical suggestions for a practical way forward. Find out more...
Information under threat
An article by Law for Life on the importance of good public legal information and the threat posed by the closure of the government’s Community Legal Advice website and the threatened closure of Advice Services Alliance’s Advicenow service. Law for Life calls on the government to develop a strategy to ensure the public will have access to both public legal education and information. Find out more...
Access to justice for litigants in person (or self-represented litigants) report
A significant and timely report by the Civil Justice Council into the plight of self-represented litigants published in November 2011. The report makes a series of recommendations including the development of public legal education and information. It praises the website developed by Advicenow and propose that their self-help approach be adopted in a new one primary ‘go to’ website for self-represented litigants. Find out more...
New European networking project - Demanding fundamental rights: Law-related education in adult education
Law for Life has made a successful bid for European funds to launch a new European partnership of adult education organisations. They will be exploring best practice in the design, delivery and evaluation of practices to improve knowledge and skills of legal issues that affect ordinary people in everyday life. The project funded under the Grundtvig Programme focuses on people from diverse and marginalised communities. Find out more…
Streetlaw project wins award
Students at BPP Law School have received an award from the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP for their Streetlaw Homeless programme. The project supports clients by providing practical presentations on aspects of the law that affect homeless people in their daily lives. Find out more about the award and Streetlaw.
Public legal education in Scotland
In January 2011, the independent Civil Justice Advisory Group in Scotland published their final report,‘Ensuring effective access to appropriate and affordable dispute resolution'. It calls for a radical rethink on how the civil justice system can be reformed to make it more fit for purpose and user-friendly.
The Group is now urging the Scottish Government to take a system-wide approach and to look how the different elements of civil justice – including information and support – can best be structured so that people can access the most appropriate solution for their particular problem and circumstances. There are fifteen recommendations including the need to pilot public legal education initiatives, ‘to build legal capability amongst particular population groups’. Find out more....
The Law Society in Scotland also published a manifesto for 2011 promoting greater public knowledge and understanding of the legal system. Find out more...
Financial education for young people – new All Party Parliamentary Group
A new All Party Parliamentary Group on financial education for young people was launched by Conservative MP Justin Tomlinson on 31st January. It calls for compulsory financial education in schools to ensure young people understand money, consumer issues and debt. Find out more ...
Citizenship Foundation and citizenship education
The Citizenship Foundation produces a wide range of resources for teachers to use to deliver citizenship education. For example, the excellent OCR Citizenship Studies for GCSE by Tony Thorpe and Julie Nakhimoff covering human rights, employment, consumer, housing, equality issues as well as civil and criminal law. Details on how to obtain a copy are here. Find out more....
PLE and Pro bono essay, 'Going public'
An essay by Lisa Wintersteiger at Plenet on the role of pro bono in the delivery of PLE was included in a collection of essays published by Jures, a legal research company and Solicitors Journal in November 2010. Find out more....
Éducaloi conference: 'Plain language: How does it concern you?'
Éducaloi in Canada held a conference, ‘Plain language: How does it concern you?’ on 21st and 22nd October 2010 in Montreal. Workshops included ‘Preparing the citizens of tomorrow through justice education’ and ‘Community organisations and plain language legal information’. Find out more....
President Obama signs Plain Writing Act
Since 13th October 2010, U.S. government agencies and offices are required to create all their documents and communications in a clear and concise manner. Writing should be logical - easy to read and easy to understand. Find out more....
