Lawyers rush to offer free help to terror attack victims

Appeals to set up pro bono legal panels to help those affected by the Manchester and London terror attacks have received an ‘overwhelming’ response according to organisers.

Manchester Law Society received more than 200 offers of help from law firms, chambers and individual solicitors, barristers and students, following its appeal after the Manchester Arena bomb, which killed 22 people and injured more than 50.

That appeal was followed by the Law Society’s call to help those affected by the London Bridge and Borough Market attacks, in which eight people were killed and 48 injured. The Law Society is working in partnership with the City of London Law Society and LawWorks, and the Bar Pro Bono Unit, which is coordinating offers of help from barristers and chambers.

Help is required to help with applications to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and at inquests, as well as providing legal advice on areas such as estate administration, property, insurance, welfare benefits, pensions and other financial issues.

Housing charity Shelter is working with the Law Society and the Housing Law Practitioners Association to provide free legal help to those affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington. The blaze in the 24-storey block of flats is known to have killed at least 56 people. Barrister volunteers should contact Shelter. The North Kensington Law Centre has already been flooded with offers of help. Jolyon Maugham QC also took to Twitter to offer residents free legal help.