Peter Kinghorn: Professor Willock’s legacy in Dundee

We read with interest the article in Scottish Legal News about the Ian Willock Collection rightly dedicated to the sterling work done by Professor Willock, particularly in the field of using the law for the benefit of ordinary people who may have felt neglected and marginalised by the legal system.

We wonder however if readers and/or the editors of the collection were aware of the work done by Dundee Legal Advice Association (DLAA) which operated opposite the University of Dundee, at 40 Perth Road.

The committee which ran DLAA comprised Dr James McManus as chair, Professor Willock and his wife Elizabeth Fellowes as members, and Margaret Winzar as secretary. DLAA provided free legal advice on social welfare law over many years and during that time employed two solicitors Fiona Raitt and Paul Parker-Smith until their funding ran out.

Around 1993, Professor Willock applied for funding under the Urban Programme (which was granted) leading to the birth of Dundee North Law Centre (now Dundee Law Centre). The law centre was originally managed by DLAA and operated from 40 Perth Road Dundee, providing free legal advice and assistance on social welfare law, social security law and tribunal representation, criminal injury compensation claims, child support appeals and then gravitating to housing law including defending evictions mostly for rent arrears including court representation, and debt work.

Professor Willock’s vision was for the law centre to be an outreach project, delivering legal advice and assistance in the heart of the communities we served under the Urban Programme, namely designated areas of multiple deprivation. Professor Willock, realising the extent of poverty, wanted to avoid the expense of clients travelling to the city centre for legal advice believing that they would feel more at ease accessing the service in their community. The law centre started on the first of September 1994, with a running in period of four months. I was in post as senior solicitor from the start and Evelyn Shephard was employed as the law centre secretary and Kenneth Marshall as solicitor.

From January 1995, outreach legal advice sessions began on a weekly basis in the designated areas expanding as time went on with increased resources. Home visits were undertaken for those with difficulty leaving home.

After a few years, the management committee (DLAA) handed over the baton to a new committee of volunteers drawn from the areas we served and the law centre moved premises to Mid Craigie, then Fintry, and then Whitfield.

Professor Willock retained a keen interest in the project. The law centre began to do work under the Civil Legal Aid Scheme to supplement the continued funding through the Dundee City Council Partnership which allowed more staff to be employed.

It would be no exaggeration to say that over the years tens of thousands of Dundonians accessed the law centre’s services and thousands were represented in court and tribunals.

This would not have happened without the effort and vision of Professor Willock and DLAA.

I retired on 31 August 2020 and Evelyn Shephard retired on 16 July 2021. Kenneth Marshall is now the principal solicitor of Dundee Law Centre based in Albert Street Stobswell.