Gypsy Traveller Law Network Launched
Last month saw the new ‘Gypsy and Traveller Law Network’ (GTLN) launch event at Garden Court Chambers (GCC), the newly established network is made up of legal professionals representing Gypsy and Traveller clients, specialising in accommodation and site matters.
The launch featured segments from the core network group, made up of Marc Willers KC (barrister) and Stephen Cottle (barrister) of GCC, Rosie Fox (paralegal) and Keith Coughtrie (solicitor) of PILC, Parminder Sanghera (Solicitor) of Community Law Partnership, James Stark of Garden Court North and Alan Masters (barrister) of One Pump Court.
Clients from the landmark Medway case also shared their experiences, with speakers raising the importance of strong legal representation for Gypsy and Traveller communities and the need for more legal professionals in the wider sector.
GTLN has been described as a collective response to challenging injustice, rooted in a moral, legal and social framework to better support Gypsy and Traveller clients. The Network can build on experience and knowledge from previous work such as the Dale Farm cases and the Lisa Smith case.
The urgency for GTLN stems from the persistent inequalities and systemic racism that continue to be experienced by Gypsy and Traveller people, and the lack of legal practitioners concertedly working in this area.
Early plans include helping legal professionals in similar work to expand their practice, engaging practicing junior barristers and solicitors early on so they understood the importance of this area and feel supported, offering training and seminars to legal practitioners, experienced professionals offering mentoring and support, and social occasions for solidarity and information sharing.
Across the partnership, and through to the launch, the dedication to supporting and upholding the rights of Gypsies and Traveller clients has been central to the development of this initiative, and legal professionals who reflect these values are strongly encouraged to join the network.
To join, contact Rosie Fox, Paralegal, on [email protected].
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About Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT)
Friends, Families and Travellers is a leading national charity that works to end racism and discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and to protect the right to pursue a nomadic way of life.
About Public Interest Law Centre (PILC)
The Public Interest Law Centre exists to challenge systemic injustice through legal representation, strategic litigation, research and legal education, and hold government and public bodies to account, challenging unlawful policies and practices.
