The impact of cuts to access to justice was the hot topic at Liberty’s “Justice Denied” Fringe Event at the TUC Conference in Bournemouth this afternoon. Nothing was off the table – from changing the rules on unfair dismissal to closing the doors of the Employment Tribunal; from placing civil justice beyond the means of many to preventing us from holding the powerful to account by moving the goalposts on Judicial Review.
Howard Beckett, Unite’s Director of Legal, Membership and Affiliated Services, was up first. He spoke about the common ground Unite and Liberty share when it comes to protecting the individual from powerful interests, whether it be attacks by the State or other parties. He stressed the vital importance of access to legal services to trade union members in the face of such assaults.
UNISON Assistant General Secretary Bronwyn McKenna shared her fears that locking ordinary people out of the court system would shut the door on justice for many. UNISON are bringing a Judicial Review against the introduction of Employment Tribunal fees; challenging the clear impact on access to justice. “Ordinary people simply won’t be able to hold their employers to account,” Bronwyn said; reminding the audience that it’s in all of our interests that our workplaces are run fairly and safely.
Our Director, Shami Chakrabarti, spoke of the importance of employment rights protections as a part of the wider human rights landscape, providing a vital bulwark against discrimination and ill-treatment in the workplace. Referring to recent assaults on civil legal aid, she pointed out that it was brilliant campaigning lawyers who exposed this country’s involvement in extraordinary rendition, but in future the court door may be closed. Responding to the Lord Chancellor’s recent article in the Daily Mail, she pointed out that holding the state to account through Judicial Review is not the preserve of the Left – "it’s about protecting the rights of vulnerable people."
There were many questions from the floor as individuals and representatives from unions and other organisations expressed their concerns about wide-ranging assaults on access to justice in this country, including court closures. As Shami pointed out in response, rights need to be realisable and enforceable in court – otherwise the law simply becomes a dead letter.
The afternoon ended on a collaborative note as TUC Assistant General Secretary Kay Carberry, who chaired our Fringe Event, pledged to continue working with Liberty and others to protect access to justice. “We’ll be thinking of creative ways to do so,” she told today’s audience. And so will we. When it comes to access to justice, the fight for fairness has only just begun.
