Video highlighting encouraging participation in Awaab’s Law consultation

13 February 2024

Christian Weaver, barrister for the family of Awaab Ishak and founder of The Law in 60 Seconds, has created a new video to highlight the ongoing consultation regarding Awaab’s Law.

Awaab died as a result of a severe respiratory condition due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home environment and the consultation includes introducing new strict time limits for social housing providers to take swift action in addressing dangerous hazards such as damp and mould.

It proposes new legal requirements for social landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days, start fixing within a further seven days, and make emergency repairs within 24 hours. Those landlords who fail can be taken to court where they may be ordered to pay compensation for tenants.

The consultation closes on 5 March, and it can be found here.

Christian is passionate about legal education and ensuring members of the public understand their rights and has written The Law in 60 Seconds: A pocket Guide to Your Rights as a means of providing readers with a straightforward resource to understand their rights on a range of legal issues. His book, which has been reduced for the period of the Awaab’s Law consultation, is part of the wider The Law in 60 Seconds project and has built on the success of his widely viewed YouTube channel, containing short videos on legal topics, from stop and search to consumer rights.

Christian said:

‘As we advocate for widespread engagement in the Awaab’s Law consultation, it’s crucial to acknowledge the accessibility barriers that exist, particularly concerning the fact that the consultation resides on the gov.uk website, a website many may not tend to engage with. This animated video serves as a tool in bridging that gap, offering a clearer understanding of the consultation’s significance and encouraging participation. It’s my hope that this initiative sparks a broader conversation about utilising more accessible communication methods in disseminating important information.’

Christian is keen to point out that he has been supported with the production of his videos by VideoScribe.

Zoe Taylor MBE, CEO at VideoScribe, said:

‘At VideoScribe, we were delighted to support such an important campaign. Like so many, we were appalled by Awaab’s death and hope Awaab’s Law can prevent future tragedy.

‘We recognise the importance of explaining the new law and the consultation process to a diverse audience who might not be familiar with legal terminology, or speak English as a second language.

‘We know animated videos are the most powerful way to make complex topics simple. And are pleased Christian chose our easy to use video creator, to create his video for this campaign.’