We are proud to share that our pro bono legal work has been featured in a new report: People need legal help: the value of legal representation in the Windrush Compensation Scheme. Led by law reform charity Justice, Dechert LLP, and the University of Sussex, the report shows how funded legal support is needed so that those who have suffered as a result of the 'Windrush Scandal' can a fair outcome and the compensation to which they are entitled.
The Windrush Compensation Scheme exists to provide compensation to those who are victims of the 'Windrush Scandal'. Many of these individuals, who were invited to live and work in the UK as British citizens after World War Two struggled to prove their right to live in the UK. As a result, they faced significant harms including financial losses, an inability to access medical treatment or to get a job. Some were unable to get housing or were evicted from their homes leaving them homeless, some were deported or threatened with deportation. The scheme helps them receive the compensation they deserve.
The case worked on by John Cooper, Lara Epsley, Emma Kensett, and Donna Smith demonstrated the difference that legal advice makes – the client went from a nil award to an award in the tens of thousands.
At a launch event co-hosted with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Access to Justice, at the House of Commons panellists discussed the report's findings. They shared personal experiences and examined the challenges people face, while stressing the importance of legal support.
This acknowledgement underlines our commitment to justice and shows how pro bono work can make a real difference.