Mishcon de Reya has announced the launch of the new Black Justice Project in partnership with Queen Mary, University of London Legal Advice Centre, to help tackle discrimination.
This new legal advice clinic, launched on 12 November, is named in recognition of the void in the provision of legal advice to the Black community that specifically focuses on the community’s needs and the pervasive long term discrimination that leads to ever-restricting access to justice. The clinic will provide free legal advice to the Black community in these three areas:
- Employment Discrimination
The clinic will offer free legal advice to members of the Black community who have faced employment discrimination and those who have potential claims under the Equality Act.
- Windrush Immigration
It will support people who are part of the Windrush generation and want to apply for financial compensation through the Windrush Compensation Scheme as a result of any losses suffered. This includes cases of people being denied employment, housing or where people may have mistakenly been detained or threatened with deportation.
- Actions Against the Police
The free clinic will offer to support to those who have a potential civil action against the police including for false imprisonment, unlawful detention and loss of liberty. It will provide assistance to people who have faced misuse of private information claims, malicious prosecution, as well as trespass to property or goods.
Francis Ridout, Director of the Legal Advice Centre at Queen Mary said: “As the most diverse university in the Russell Group, Queen Mary’s Legal Advice Centre has a proud history of serving the wide range of legal needs within our East London community. We hope this project will empower those facing discrimination as well as support actions arising from the Windrush scandal.”
Molly Javangwe, Paralegal and point of contact for the initiative at Mishcon de Reya said: “We are extremely proud to be involved with the Black Justice Project. This initiative is undertaking the essential work needed to help fill the void in the provision of legal advice to the Black community, that specifically focuses on the community's needs and the pervasive long-term discrimination that leads to ever-restricting access to justice."