Access to Justice – the right of every citizen

Martin Coyne - Managing Partner

By Martin Coyne – Managing Partner

In January 2010 the Report by Sir Rupert Jackson was published recommending far reaching reforms of the civil justice system. An election was looming, and this topic was not contained within either the long or short manifesto of the Conservative Party. The generally feeling was that the Jackson Report would be confined to the long grass and would not be on the top of the political agenda.

Astonishingly, in the early summer of 2010, the Prime Minister had a pop at the none existent “compensation culture” and wheeled out Lord Young to investigate reform of health and safety legislation and this alleged culture. The Young Report was published in November 2010 almost contemporaneously with the Civil Justice Green Paper which echoes many of the suggested reforms of Lord Justice Jackson.

At a private dinner during the MASS conference in Manchester, the Access to Justice Action Group (AJAG) was formed. Andrew Dismore was hired. Andrew was an MP for 13 years and a solicitor and partner for over 20 years at Thompson’s and Russell Jones and Walker. He was available, and together with Tom Lavelle, set about with myself and principally Darren Werth and others in establishing AJAG. Read more »

Fancy footwork

As featured in the Law Society Gazette, 3th June 2010.

With just over a week until the World Cip kicks off, it seems football fever is already take a vice-hold over the legal profession. Fancying themselves as solicitor versions of Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard et al (in football terms only, we stress), lawyers at Manchester firm Ralli have made an amausing video to show their support for charity Soccer Aid (which raises money for UNICEF to help children around the world) and to demonstrate their backing for England’s bid to host the 2018 tournament. Read more »

Ralli’s charitable staff and clients

Gillian Nuttall (PR & Marketing Manager)

Happy New Year.   Twenty ten…. what are you going to call it?  Two thousand and ten or, twenty ten?   I personally, am going with two thousand and ten, simply because it sounds less like a boy band than “2010″.

Just before Christmas I attended a networking lunch in Liverpool with a few of my colleagues from Ralli and some clients. As well as a networking event, the organiser, Chris Shirling-Rooke treats the events as an opportunity to do some fund raising for a couple of his chosen charities,  Help for Heroes and Factor 50.   The Christmas lunch was the turn of Factor 50. Read more »