Lottery funding supports Scottish Child Law Centre

Jamie Speirs

The award is timely given the increased demand for the centre’s services and a growing complexity of cases. Last year, a pilot community clinic in Govanhill identified multiple breaches of rights, particularly those of Black and ethnic minority children and families.

Most of these cases highlighted the importance of accessing equitable remedy and justice when rights have been, or are at risk of being, breached.

Senior solicitor, Jamie Speirs, who heads up the advice and training service, said: “The Scottish Child Law Centre believe that access to justice is a crucial avenue to realising all children’s rights. This is strongly supported by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

“Access to Justice is a national issue in which the Centre is involved. However, we know that it’s not straightforward and that a system change is required and will take some time.

“In the immediate term, we want to get our advice out to those who need it most and to explore more collaborative and practical action that will best protect the rights of our children right now!

“The players of People’s Postcode Lottery Trust have helped to make that more possible.”