Rowan White

The fund was set up to make grants of up to £100,000 available to specialist social welfare law advice agencies dealing with the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well providing longer term support for the sector’s wider renewal.

The UK-wide charity said the Law Society’s donation is the first from an organisation based in Northern Ireland and the funds will be earmarked for specialist legal advice charities in Northern Ireland.

Rowan White, president of the Law Society, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused very real hardship, and now more than ever people need help with issues such as unemployment, debt and welfare benefits.

“Where the Law Society can help, we shall do so, whether through the excellent legal services provided by our members or through our support for the Community Justice Fund.”

Ruth Daniel, CEO of the Access to Justice Foundation, said: “We’re very grateful to the Law Society of Northern Ireland for their donation.

“This is the first donation allocated specifically for legal advice charities within Northern Ireland and we’re keen to continue supporting the legal advice sector in the country and helping vulnerable people throughout the UK get access to justice during these challenging times.”

The Community Justice Fund is a joint initiative between Advice UK, Law Centres Network and Citizens Advice and a group of independent funders (the AB Charitable Trust, Access to Justice Foundation, Indigo Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, The Legal Education Foundation and Therium Access). It is hosted by The Access to Justice Foundation.