Celebrating Legal Aid – Garden Court North members speak at Young Legal Aid Lawyers’ 20th anniversary party
27 May 2025
Garden Court North’s Anna Morris KC (pictured) speaking at LPAG’s Young Legal Aid Lawyers’ 20th anniversary party on 23 May 2025. Credit: Frederique Bellec.
The Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) awards marked 20 years of commitment to access to justice with an anniversary party on 23 May 2025, celebrating the vital the appointment of the YLAL awards’ founder, Laura Janes, as an honorary KC.
In order to highlight the positive impact legal aid has had on people’s lives, the YLAL anniversary event collected 20 powerful stories on the vital work of young lawyers in the legal aid sphere.
It also drew speakers recognised for their expertise in legal aid work, including Garden Court North’s Christian Weaver and Anna Morris KC.
Christian won the Legal Aid Newcomer award at the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) ceremony in 2023, following Garden Court North’s Ciara Bartlam previously winning the award in 2022.
James Stark, also of Garden Court North, won the Legal Aid Barrister of the Year award in 2020.
The ceremony for the 2025 LALY awards is taking place in July.
Legal aid deserts
The YLAL anniversary event also served as a timely reminder of the increasingly scarce access to legal aid funding.
These so-called ‘legal aid deserts’ are well documented. Research by the Law Society of England and Wales has shown millions of people remain unable to access justice when they need it, with charities struggling amid less funding availability.
According to Law Society’s research:
- 53m people (90%) do not have access to a local education legal aid provider
- 6m people (84.9%) do not have access to a local welfare legal aid provider
- 42m people (70.8%) do not have access to a local community care legal aid provider
- 5m people (63%) do not have access to a local immigration and asylum legal aid provider
- 9m people (43.6%) do not have access to a local legal aid provider for housing advice, an increase of 6.6% since 2019.
The UK Government’s Ministry of Justice launched a review of Civil Legal Aid in January 2023 amid calls to revitalise a broken and flawed system.
In November 2024, the Government announced an extra £20m of spending for legal aid per year, but this has been insufficient to counteract a decades-long backdrop of underfunding.
Whether it be for criminal defence, inquests, or family law, legal aid is crucial for people facing important legal issues to receive the advice they need.
Garden Court North Chambers remains resolutely committed to legal aid work and the fight to preserve it.
Additional media
Young Legal Aid Lawyers – 20 Years, 20 Stories: Celebrating Legal Aid
The Law Society – Legal Aid Deserts
For further information, please contact Alex Blair, Communications Manager at Garden Court North Chambers: ablair@gcnchambers.co.uk
