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Campaigning litigation Liberty’s approach

Campaigning litigation Liberty’s approach. James Welch 3 rd February 2011. “Campaigning organisation”. Policy Media Legal casework Advice and information. Campaign priorities (1). (N.B. currently under review)

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Campaigning litigation Liberty’s approach

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  1. Campaigning litigation Liberty’s approach James Welch 3rd February 2011

  2. “Campaigning organisation” • Policy • Media • Legal casework • Advice and information

  3. Campaign priorities (1) (N.B. currently under review) • We must fight punishment without trial and the worst excesses of the War against Terror. • We must promote criminal due process and resist wider police powers, especially those that limit peaceful dissent.

  4. Campaign priorities (2) • We must protect the right to privacy and halt the introduction of ID cards. • We must advance the rights of asylum seekers and other vulnerable minorities. • We must broaden respect and understanding of human rights and their universal application.

  5. “War on terror” • Control orders • Closed trials and secret evidence • Rendition • Collusion in torture • Refusal of security clearance

  6. Due process, police & protest • Extradition • Section 44 Terrorism Act 2000 • Disproportionate use of search powers against BME groups • “Kettling” • Obstacles to protest

  7. Privacy • Retention of DNA • Criminal Records Bureau • Surveillance and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

  8. Asylum seekers • Conditions of detention • Detention of children • Discrimination claims?

  9. Culture of rights “Common values” campaign • Religious freedom / expression • Rights of young people • Victims’ rights

  10. Legal work • Domestic cases • Typically judicial review • Cases before the European Court of Human Rights • Lack of domestic remedy where legislation is clearly incompatible with the Convention • Interventions (both domestic and before ECtHR)

  11. Strategic litigation • Small number of cases • Don’t aim to do lots of cases on the same issue But • “DNA clinic” • CRB issues

  12. Sources of cases • Advice and information • Written and telephone advice • Referrals • Media • Reports in the media • Working with journalists • Seeking cases out

  13. Factors relevant to case selection • Campaigning value • Legal merits • Funding & costs risk “Dual key”

  14. Campaigning value • Does the case come serve our campaigning priorities? • Can we campaign on the back of the case? • Is client willing for us to publicise the case? • How will case / client play in the media? • Interplay with policy

  15. Legal merits • What will we achieve through litigation? • Show that a policy, practice, action was unlawful • Achieve a compatible reading (s.3 HRA 1998) • Achieve a declaration of incompatibility (s.4 HRA) • Damages (?) • What are the prospects of success? • What will the impact of the case be? • Value as a precedent • Potential to set an unhelpful precedent

  16. Funding & costs risk • Does the client face a costs risk? • ECtHR cases • Tribunals with no / limited power to award costs • Is the client eligible for legal aid? • “Costs protection” • Conditional fee agreements / pro bono • After the event insurance • Protective costs orders • Indemnity • Client taking the risk him/herself

  17. Pro bono resources • Counsel • Interesting cases • Career advancement • Solicitors’ firms • Pro bono commitment • Association with Liberty • Chance to engage / train staff, particularly junior fee earners

  18. Interventions • “Third party intervention” • “Amicus brief” • Greater use and acceptance in recent years • Written or oral?

  19. Supreme Court • “Non-governmental organization seeking to make submissions in the public interest” • Application for permission (Rule 15 Supreme Court Rules 2009) • Substantive appeal (Rule 26) • Presumption that no costs order will be made either in favour of or against an intervener (Rule 46(3))

  20. ECtHR • “Any person concerned who is not the applicant” • “Reasoned” application within 12 weeks of the case being communicated or case being taken on by the Grand Chamber • www.echr.coe.int “Pending cases” • Usually limited to 10 typed pages • Exceptionally leave to make oral submissions

  21. “Added value” • Additional information • Additional arguments • Explain wider significance of the case • Position espoused by neither party • Marker of the significance of a case (?)

  22. Danger! • In re E (a child) [2008] UKHL 66 “An intervention is however of no assistance if it merely repeats points which the appellant or respondent has already made. […] It is not the role of an intervener to be an additional counsel for one of the parties. This is particularly important in the case of an oral intervention.” Lord Hoffmann

  23. Benefits to interveners • Influence development of the law in a case in which they are not instructed by one of the parties • Position from which to comment in the media • Not constrained by duties to a client

  24. No right answers • Things go wrong • Supportive Board / management committee • Trumpet your successes • Success breeds success

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