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Current News |
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| Gareth Peirce tops the LALY award list |
Date: 26 Jun 2006
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 Gareth Peirce, the lawyer representing the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, was honoured by her peers at the annual Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards. The panel of judges, chaired by Cherie Booth QC, gave her the award for outstanding achievement in recognition of her civil rights work over many years. Her clients have included the Guildford Four, the Birmingham Six, detainees at Guantanamo Bay and a family caught up in the police raid at Forest Gate. James Collins was named as barrister of the year. His recent cases include the High Court ruling from April 2006 which found the Home Office requirement for some immigrants to seek permission to marry to be in breach of human rights provisions. Those nominating him also praised his tireless work in much less high profile cases. Saimo Chahal of Bindman and Parters won the award for mental health lawyer of the year. She has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of the law on behalf of those with mental illness, learning difficulties and other particularly vulnerable individuals. The awards, organised by LAPG and Independent Lawyer, are now in their fourth year. They were set up to recognise excellence from lawyers working in publicly funded fields of law. The winners were announced at a ceremony at Haberdashers Hall, London. Other winners included Andrew Keogh (crime), Nathaniel Mathews (social welfare), Amit Sachdev (immigration), Jennifer Beck (family), Paragon Law (team), Laura Janes (young solicitor) and Ruth Brander (young barrister). Richard Miller, LAPG director, said, "Once again, we have seen a demonstration of the true value of the legal aid system to this country, and of the dedication of the lawyers who work within that system. I was particularly delighted by the exceptional quality of the nominations for the young solicitor and barrister awards. It reassures me that there is another generation of brilliant lawyers, passionately committed to justice, who are ready to carry on the fight." |
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