Michael Mansfield QC wins top award at legal aid 'Oscars'

The leading legal aid barrister Michael Mansfield was last night presented with an award for Outstanding Achievement by Cherie Booth QC at a ceremony in London.

Among the 300-plus guests at the 2010 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards was the new attorney general, Dominic Grieve QC, who was formerly a legal aid lawyer and the DPP, Keir Starmer QC.

Michael Mansfield, who has retired from day to day practice, was honoured for a career at the Bar spanning 40 years.

The judges praised him for 'never shying away from controversial causes or apparently unwinnable cases'. 'Whatever the case and whoever the client, he has brought the same degree of fearlessness and energy to his advocacy,' they said.

Michael's practice has shadowed key historical events - the Orgreave miners, Guildford Four and Birmingham Six appeals, the Marchioness disaster, the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, the Stockwell shooting - and has been defined by his commitment to publicly-funded work.

The judging panel, chaired by Cherie Booth QC, included Doreen Lawrence, whose teenage son, Stephen, was murdered by racists in 1993.

In a video clip played at the ceremony, Doreen praised Michael's absolute commitment to her family's case. 'I don't think we would have got to where we got to with the Inquiry if it weren't for him,' she said.

Another client, Mouloud Sihali, who was acquitted in the 2005 'ricin plot' trial and subsequently cleared of being a threat to national security, said simply: 'He's the guy who saved my life twice.'

Accepting the award, Michael urged practitioners to fight threatened cuts in the legal aid budget. 'There is no sense in government talking about reinstatement of civil rights if at the same time they are not going to provide adequate resources for the public to access those rights.'

Speaking after the ceremony, Michael said the LALY for Outstanding Achievement was 'his second proudest award' - beaten only by when he was made an honorary member of the National Union of Mineworkers.

There were 10 awards in total, including Outstanding Achievement.

The other winners were:

Criminal defence lawyer - Peter Mahy, whose case before the European Court of Human Rights (S and Marper v UK) established it is unlawful to retain the DNA of innocent people.

Young legal aid solicitor - Katherine Craig, who specialises in actions against the police.

Young legal aid barrister - Adam Straw of Tooks Chambers for his work representing families at inquests.

Family legal aid lawyer - David Jockelson who has trained in psychotherapy and as a parenting workshop facilitator.

Social and welfare lawyer - Kathy Meade from Tower Hamlets Law Centre

Mental health lawyer - Sophy Miles who has a raft of reported cases, including JE v DE, which was a leading decision about deprivation of liberty and mental capacity.

Immigration lawyer of the year - Amie Henshall who was praised for her ability to put vulnerable clients at ease.

Legal aid barrister - Mark Henderson who is highly regarded for his immigration work.

Legal aid firm/Not-for-profit agency - Just for Kids Law/Lawrence & Co which goes the extra mile to provide mentoring and other services to its young clients