NUIG legal eagles offer free legal advice

NUIG Law Soc have made a name for themselves with the revival of the Free Legal Advice Centre this year. FLAC provides a great service for students who are stuck and looking for legal advice.

Noeline Blackwell, Director General of the national FLAC organisation and Gerry White, lecturer in Constitutional law at Trinity College Dublin with the NUIG FLAC committee

NUI Galway Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC), a project of the NUIG Law Society, is open every Tuesday evening from 6 to 7.30pm in Áras na Mac Léinn and is aimed at students who require information on legal matters such as disputes with landlords, criminal offences and employment rights to name but a few. Law students working under the supervision of a qualified practitioner discuss matters and distribute legal information as is required. Matters discussed at the legal aid centre are strictly confidential.

The official launch of FLAC took place on January 18^th when the NUI Galway Law Society hosted Noeline Blackwell, Director General of FLAC, Professor Gerry Whyte of Trinity College Dublin and former UCG FLAC member, solicitor Oliver Foley. The launch involved a lecture on the current situation in relation to access to justice in modern day Ireland. Professor Liam O’Malley, Head of the School of Law, opened the event and congratulated the members of the Law Society involved in re-establishing FLAC in NUI Galway for their achievement. He referred to the fact that FLAC existed in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was staffed by students from UCG. He expressed his delight that this student initiative has been successfully revived. The guest speakers at the event Ms Blackwell, Professor Whyte and Mr Foley also congratulated the students involved in the initiative and wished them well.

NUI Galway’s FLAC is affiliated with the Free Legal Advice Centres, a national organisation which is otherwise known as FLAC. This is an independent human rights organisation dedicated to the realisation of equal access to justice for all. It campaigns on a range of legal issues and offers legal services to the general public. It is now more so than ever in these economically harsh times that people’s rights and entitlements need to be protected.

In 2009, FLAC celebrated its 40th anniversary. It was founded by four law students in 1969; former Attorney General David Byrne SC, Denis McCullough SC, Mr Justice Vivian Lavan and retired Hong Kong magistrate Ian Candy.

In the four decades since then, the organisation has often struggled financially to keep its doors open, but has always strived to promote equal access to justice for all and to achieve a more socially just society. The volunteers who offer legal advice and information in FLAC centres in communities all over Ireland form the backbone of the organisation.

Every year, many people encounter legal problems relating to family matters, debt, eviction, employment, and social welfare among others. Due to their financial circumstance, the poorest or most marginalised people in society are often unsure of their rights and lack advice on their position or representation in the courts. They are effectively denied access to justice.

Access to justice, in the form of legal information, legal advice and representation in the courts but also in terms of campaigning and research gives people with little power in our society, economically or socially, a way to enforce their rights.

NUI Galway FLAC clinics have been in operation since January 19^th and have been serving the needs of a large number of students seeking information on a wide range of legal issues. If you would like to receive information on how to get involved with NUI Galway FLAC or on the service it provides email nuigflac@gmail.com.

By Tara Gibbons