Civil Liberties
We are one
of the leading regional firms dealing with cases of this nature. Clients come to
us having been recommended by other
firms in the region and by the Law Society.
Our
expertise in this field meant that we were awarded a contract by the Legal
Services Commission in the Civil Actions Against Public Bodies
category. We were
instrumental in convincing the Legal Services Commission that
there was a need for this service in the South East. Unfortunately
there was too little work in this area to allow us to continue
to carry out legal aid work and we had to refuse to renew the
contract.
The sort
of work we do within this category includes all civil actions
against the police and any other public bodies with power to
detain such as the Prison Service and H M Customs.
These will typically include actions such as assault,
trespass, wrongful seizure and retention of goods, false
imprisonment, malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public
office. It is with
regret that we cannot offer legal aid for all these areas of
abuse of authority by Public Authorities. If your problem lies in these areas
you may telephone us to check to see if there is any legal aid
available - but it is rare and getting rarer.
We can advise families of those who have died in custody and
we can appear appear on their behalf at the subsequent Inquest.
With changes brought about Access to Justice Act 1999 we
can now apply for public funding to represent families in such
cases. We also assist
'significant witnesses' through the Inquest system.
Kent has
one of the largest prison populations in the UK and because we
are situated within a reasonable traveling distance of the
majority of Kent prisons, we are able to look after the
interests of a large number of prisoners.
The civil department works in tandem with our criminal
department in seeking to offer a full service to prisoners.
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