Brenda

suffers from debilitating

While
depression and anxiety. Having coped
receiving treatment
with the help of Disability Living Allowance
and support for mental health
for several years, the Department of Work &
problems, Brian was detained in hospital
Pensions (DWP) new work capability test decided
under the Mental Health Act. Unusually, Brians
she was fit to go back into employment. In reality Brenda
social worker had not consulted Brians family or
could barely look after herself and her home, let alone
advocate before the detention. Unhappy his right to
manage a job. Unsurprisingly Brendas condition deteriorated
liberty had been overlooked, Brian asked us for help.
as she tried to cope with the loss of income and the stress
Though acting with best intentions, we argued that the
of appealing against the DWPs decision. With support from a
hospital
and
local
authority
still
had
a
duty
to
consult
friend and her GP, one of our law student volunteers built up a
HUMAN RI
GHTS TO
Brians family, even if dealing with concerns about his
detailed picture of how Brendas illness affected her daily life,
Growth of
DAY CA
current
state
of
health
remained
the
primary
short-term
N
&
and presented this evidence to the appeal hearing. As with
BE T R
th
UK citizen
ACED
priority. After consultation with relatives, Brian continued
s rig eir
many appeals, Brendas was successful - underlining the
BA C
hts:
m
K
treatment
without
being
legally
and
practically
detained
inadequacy of the DWPs tests, but not without causing
T
.2
O TH
:3
against
his
will.
As
the
number
of
older
and
vulnerable
E
0
further unnecessary anxiety. Brenda said afterwards: I
SIG
0
NIN
11
.8m
people
grows,
mental
health
law
remains
an
iL fe
couldnt have coped without you. I felt you were with
2
GO
1:
4
important
protection
of
their
rights
against
F
me at every step.
TH
15
DEFENDING SOCIAL
E
rty
potential
exploitation.
m
e
MA
.2
ib
5
L
:
WELFARE PROVISIONS
GN
It is a b
51
AC
ig worry
PROTECTING
LIBERTY
16
lifted fro
n
I feel I
Tom is
o
AR
RTY
m us
have jus
ati
T O LIB E
TA
m
T
tice.
8
H
uc
19
and
was
brought up in
.
G
d
5
IN
E
RI
1:
care.
Soon
after
moving
from the care
5
1
Ov
21
17
e
e
2000 London
g
system
into
temporary
accommodation,
he
5
bec rall I a
a
.E
rri
a
ST
UK parliament passes the
was
asked
to
leave
due
to
alleged
bad
behaviour,
Ma
reso use th m 100
m
AB
%b
and slept rough in a tent for several months.
8.8
Human Rights Act, cementing
L IS
no l lved su is issu
:
e
X
t
1
t
e
e
o
1
H
Due
to cold, damp conditions, his health deteriorated
e
United
Nations
and
European
wor nger h ccessf was r
I
18
NG
Fre ns
ry.
ave ully
considerably.
Tom was treated by his GP and made a
T
o
protection
for
human
rights
i
a
the
t
HE
n
100% What do o
2m
lec
stre d I
1
homeless
application
to the local authority. It was initially refused
e
:
B
ur clien
ss a
AS
31
ts say
E
on
the
grounds
that
the
situation hadnt changed since leaving
18
n
I
d
v
C
abou
Ce ery
RIG
r
his
previous
accommodation.
We persuaded the local authority
t the
i
o
n
a
fel tre ne
F al
HT
imp
i
t
r
to
reconsider
Toms
position
given
the already evident risks to his
I
t
S
s
I
d
act
o a ma how me
OF
.3m
of t
5
health.
They
agreed,
and
he
now
has
a place to live and some
t
1
l
t
:
l th ter ed at
EQ
1
he
I would reco
UA
mmen
ey ed me the
support to maintain his tenancy. Toms case highlights the gap
185
a
d
d Avo
vic
LIT
co an k La
e
between childrens and adult services, and the unreasonable
et
n&
uld d t ind w
Fre h
Y, F
he
Bris
c
he ne
e
t
e
expectation that young people somehow become adults
R
y
t
o
p
m
o
y
s
s
EE
l La
ha
he w s.
My p
1.4
In
DO
wC
1: 2
ve
overnight when they reach 18, especially care leavers like
lp ou I
7
robl
8
o
1
M
w
me ld
ent
rec
em
mily
Tom who often have little or no support.
a
un
A
F
re
.
w
N

TIO

SUPPORTING REFUGEES
Michaela, a young mother from
Sierra Leone, came to the UK in
2014 with her two daughters. Having escaped
to Guinea in her youth to avoid Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM), she feared persecution if forced
to return. Michaela and her youngest daughter were
diagnosed with HIV. Stigma associated with HIV in
Sierra Leone would have led to further persecution and
created a barrier to obtaining adequate healthcare for
their condition (compounded by the Ebola crisis).The
Home Office refused her claim for asylum but with our
support the appeal was allowed under the Refugee
Convention. The familys health and wellbeing has
since improved as a result of HIV treatment,
stability at home and feeling safe in
the knowledge that they are now
protected from FGM under
UK law.

RE

ME

DYI

NG R
IGHTS

INFRINGEMENTS

DISCRI M I N A
NO T O R T U R E / N O

1215 Runnymede
King John signs the Magna
Carta, limiting the Kings
power, providing a base for
civil rights

BLACK
OTHER
1%

ROMANY
0.3%

How do o
ur cli
ents
des
crib
e

CARIBBEAN
7.6%

EASTERN
EURO
1%

the
ir e

WHITE
UK 48%
CHINESE
0.7%

y?
icit
thn

BANGLADESHI
0.4%

PAKISTANI
3%

0%

ASIAN
OTHER
2%

1891

m
: 27.2

UL
EO

Free
thought

FL
AW
, IT

.6m

RIGHT

CR
E

1911: 33

AT
ED
A

Property

4m
1931:37.

FR

Our achievements this year include:

Extending our opening Expanding our student
hours in response to
advocacy project, which
demand.
has had a 95% success
Securing a new public
rate with appeals and has
law contract, so we can
secured over 1m for our
help people challenge
clients.
poor decisions made by Relaunching our website
public bodies.
to make our services
more accessible.

PREVENTING
HOMELESSNESS

TO LIFE

AM
EW
O

RK

No torture

AFRICAN
23%
INDIAN
2%

DR

life

r to
lea le
it c luab
ake is va e:
ld m th on
y
h
hou wit ever ite,
r
u s ng
h
Yo p goi It is fo ck/w
kee ice. d, bla
v
l
ser ng, o r.
u
e

WHITE
OTHER
8%

yo ev
t
%)
a
proved (42
wh
ave im
ing h
ellbe
%)
nd w
(60
ma
ter
tee
-es
bet
f
(40%)
sel
hts
better
)
%
rig
My
now
6
9
(
al
ss is
e
d?
leg
stre
vic
ve
l of
ad
my
s
leve
ed
nd
My
ne
ho
ew

MIXED
3%

as
de
full to so
rst
ys
m
a
eo
olv
ne
ed
(79 els
%)

1951:38.7m

2015 Bristol
The British Institute of Human
Rights celebrates 15 years of
the Act as the country debates
dismantling universal rights

FRO
MW

HIC
HM

ODE
RN U
N

Free association

1:43
19 7

ITED

.5m

NATI
O NS

ination

No discrim
19

48.2m
91 :

4: 6 4
201

hts

y to rig

Remed

.6m

A ND

EURO
PEAN
ts

men
infringe

UNION

RIGHT

S ARE

DERIVE
D.

-15
to all o
u r f u nd e r s f o r 2 0 1 4

Contracted with the

Legal Aid Agency

PO

RE B
E

OY
ME
N

IMMIGRATION & ASYLUM

ITS

NEF

PL

report

EM

TH
AL

AL

HE

WEL
FA

ION
INAT

RT

NU

4-15

18

Looking forward to 2016 and beyond

Our key strategic objectives for the next 12 months are:

Partne
r

ships
We a
r
e
c
o
through mmitted to ac
h
e
ie
v
in
g
more fo
agency ffective partn
e
ro
f
r
o
also wo r the Bristol-b ships. We are t ur clients
ased
he le
rk in
a
a
p
d
d
a
v
r
advice
agencie tnership with ice partnership
So
sa
W
a
u
n
e
t
h
d
le
G
L
a
a
lo
d
w
ucester nd
C
e
n
tres acr
netwo and organise
shire
o
r
a
ss
k
,
Seekers and are an ac regional comm the region.
t
a
u
have de nd Refugees ive member of nity care
In
v
Bristol A
agencie eloped new r tegration Gro
eferral
up. This sylum
s who c
re
o
a
u
n
r
p
m
r
o
o
vide wid lationships w year we
s
ith sup
health t vulnerable
er sup
c
is
s
u
e
s
, drug a lients, includin port to some port
domes
of
t
ic
v
io
lence a nd alcohol pro g those with
mental
nd traf
blems
We als
fi
a
o
c
n
k
w
d
in
o
t
g
h
r
.
k in
e victim
La
w
S
o
s of
c
iety, AC partnership w
FA: The
ith ou
and
v
a
A
r
d
io
v
u
ic
e Netw r local univers
resourc s private sect
ork, La
ities, B
o
e
s
,
s
o
w
e can re r organisation w Centres Net ristol
s
work
a
c
h
o
u
t to eve in order to m
aximis
n mor
e
c
li
e
n
ts in ne e our
ed.

To influence poor policy & practice through strategic litigation and social
policy work
To focus our limited resources on the clients and cases where we can make
the biggest difference
To build on our profile raising work to ensure people have a better
understanding of their rights and how to exercise them
To seek out new funding opportunities to ensure the Law Centre survives
and thrives
Achieving these objectives will help ensure vulnerable citizens in Bristol and
the south-west continue to secure access to justice.

inq u

Tota
l

RE

131
162
ING

US

HO

LAW

21

al
Welcome to our annu
for 2014-15

ries t
o the

Avon & Bristol

Law Centre

257

AN

201

RIM

250

PUBLIC

ER

ANEOUS

lped nearly
During the year we have he
mbat poverty
2,000 vulnerable people co
to justice in
through providing access
external
an increasingly complicated
welfare reform
environment. The pace of
following the
and the impact of austerity
ught about
2013 legal aid cuts have bro
in demand for our
an all-time high increase
e to strive to meet.
services which we continu
team have improved the
Our solicitor-led in-house
ways including helping the
lives of our clients in many
e services,
car
ss, access health & social
clients to avoid homelessne
to which
nation, obtain the benefits
challenge unlawful discrimi
, challenge their
e their immigration status
they are entitled, regularis
l Health Act.
detention under the Menta
increasingly
services decreases, we are
As public funding for our
u. Please get in
ity of supporters such as yo
dependent on the generos
your Law Centre.
out how you can support
touch to find out more ab

nks

DISC

io u

re v

p
20
1
4
3
7
2
,
1
3
4
:
the
d to
2 0 1 4- 1 5 : 6 ,5 8 4 in qu iries
pa re
r co m
st ye a
La w C entre
dou bled in t he la

CO

L
TA

on

Tha

e:
ov
b
a
348
ted
a
r
st
The
illu
s
i
tota
w
l num
of la
a
e
r
ber of c
a
ases this year for each

257
103

N
MU

AR

EN

hs

s1

2m

Avon & Bristol Law Centre: 2 Moon Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol BS2 8QE.
www.ablc.org.uk | 0117 924 8662 | mail@ablc.org.uk
Avon & Bristol Law Centre is a registered charity and company limited by
guarantee. Company No 1982371. Charity No 1059022.

tre is a
ol Law Cen
Avon & Brist n the support of our
nt o
olders.
charity relia
and stakeh
rs
e
d
n
fu
,
rs
r work
dono
e people ou
th
ll
a
f
o
lf
a
to say
On beh
would like
e
w
,
lp
e
h
and
is able to
, volunteers
ff
a
st
r
u
o
thank you to ontinuing to ensure
for c
t, not a
supporters
ice is a righ
st
ju
to
ss
e
that acc
y giving
- whether b
re
tu
privilege.
fu
e
th
in
ro bono
support us
rtise as a p
e
to
p
x
le
e
b
r
a
u
o
re
y
If you a
sharing
us:
a volunteer, cially - please contact
s
a
e
m
ti
r
u
yo
finan
on online;
y donating
ke a donati
a
m
adviser or b
to
lc
b
unities;
om/charity/a
ering opport
.c
g
te
n
in
lu
iv
o
lg
v
a
t
c
u
like to
Visit lo
d out abo
rg.uk to fin
s you would
y
.o
a
lc
w
b
r
.a
e
w
th
o
w
Visit w
if there are
ablc.org.uk
@
il
a
m
t
c
.
Conta
in our work
be involved

t
us protec
p
l
e
h
u
o
Can y
o justice?
t
t
h
g
i
r
e
th

C
ITY

CONSUM

MISCELL

ILY

FAM

143

Sar
:
a
h
M
iddleton, Guildhall Chambers
Avon & Bristol Law Centre make a huge contribution to protecting
the rights of Britols most unheard, forgotten and invisible citizens.
Thats why theyre our Charity of the Year for 2015.