Five fabulous Scottish Legal Walks

An amazing total of 158 walkers (and 8 dogs!), walked over 28 kilometres and raised more than £4,500 for access to justice in Scotland and local legal advice charities. Read all about the walks and how you can still donate in Graeme's update. 

And it’s a wrap for our fabulous five Scottish Legal Walks 2024!

Over a two-week window this autumn, we were most fortunate with the weather, as can be seen from our photos, we had an amazing total of 158 walkers and 8 dogs, who walked over 28 kilometres and raised more than £4,500 for access to justice in Scotland and local legal advice charities. You can still donate to the individual SLW event pages on JustGiving in aid of The Access to Justice Foundation.

We all really enjoyed the walks and meeting and networking with new and existing fellow walkers. We are indebted to our national sponsors, The Faculty of Advocates and The Law Society of Scotland, and our individual event sponsors, organisers, walkers, donors, and supporters.

We are now looking forward to the Scottish Legal Walks 2025 and hoping to add an inaugural Inverness Legal Walk next year.

And please don’t forget that it’s not just about walking, and the Great Legal Bake is from 4-8.11 and the Great Legal Quiz is on 27.11 with more details at https://atjf.org.uk/events

Let’s hear from some of our walkers this year:

Austin Lafferty past Dean of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow who walked in Glasgow on 25.9 commented:

“The Glasgow legal Walk was interesting and successful again this year. We had around 30 walkers – including the president and the Chief Executive of the Law Society of Scotland, with Sheriff John McCormick, the senior Sheriff at Glasgow Sheriff Court addressing and joining us on the route. The weather was clear, bright, and dry! As ever, depending mainly on how much chatting was being done among colleagues, the walkers became strung out into little groups. It wasn’t a race, so for those who dawdled, or stopped to take in the sites of ancient gory executions or religious trials, it was a leisurely stroll. As ever our purpose was to raise awareness and help fund access to justice. So, the GLW was fun but also for a good cause.”

Laura Brown who organised and walked in Falkirk on 29.9 said:

“I’m delighted to have organised the second annual Falkirk Legal Walk. Local historian, Geoff Bailey, once again generously gave us his time, guiding us along a new route and feeding us fascinating nuggets of Falkirk history along the way. We have raised just shy of £1,200. Digby Brown sent an army of their staff along to walk with us, and they kindly sponsored a delicious lunch for us all. Here’s to the third Falkirk Legal Walk in 2025!”

Rebecca Samaras, past chair of the ATJF Scotland committee and a trustee of the Foundation, who was at the Dundee Legal Walk on 1.10 commented:

“The 2024 Scottish Legal Walks were a resounding success, raising significant funds and awareness for pro bono legal services, and showcasing the incredible community spirit and dedication of participants across Scotland."

Lord Tyre, who addressed our walkers and walked with us in Edinburgh on 3.10 said:

“The sun shone on an excellent turnout of walkers, many of whom participated for the first time. Everyone enjoyed the walk and the post-walk reception in the Advocates’ Library. I hope that in 2025 more judicial office holders will participate in one of the walks – there will be one near you!”

Neil Mackenzie KC, Keeper of the Library, Faculty of Advocates, commented:

“The Scottish Legal Walks serve many purposes. One is to increase awareness of the plight of those least able to defend their legal rights, so eloquently described by Lord Tyre to the crowd of soon-to-be walkers at Old College. Another, related purpose is to raise money to help those in need, which the Access to Justice Foundation has done to great effect over many years. Yet another is to enjoy the company of old and new friends on the walk, which was even more pleasurable than usual because the weather was mild and sunny. The walkers, including three well-behaved canine friends, were most welcome at the reception in the Reading Room of the Advocates’ Library, which brought this year’s event to a happy ending. The work to help those in need continues, through the efforts of those in the pro bono sector, including, the Access to Justice Foundation, the Law Society of Scotland, and of course Faculty’s Free Legal Services Unit.”

Susan Murray, President of the Law Society of Scotland said:

“The Law Society of Scotland, alongside our colleagues at the Faculty of Advocates, have, once again, been more than pleased to support this year’s legal walks. The fantastic turnout at each of the five walks held this year highlights just how important this cause is to the legal sector in Scotland. I was delighted to be able to join almost all of the walks this year. It was great to be able to speak to members, law students and their law lecturers on the subject of access to justice. My thanks go to all those who expertly organised the walks.

Pro bono legal services can never replace a properly funded legal aid system, but its importance has grown as legal aid has come under ever increasing pressure. There are many people, including some of the most vulnerable in our society, who require expert advice to resolve complex legal issues and so enforce their legal rights, but who do not have the financial means to pay for that advice.

“Every step taken and every pound raised really does make a difference in supporting the important work of the Access to Justice Foundation Scotland in helping people obtain much needed legal support.”

Ian Robertson, Assistant Student Director at Grampian Community Law Centre, and one of the walkers and organisers of the Aberdeen Legal Walk on 9.10, commented:

“We would like to thank all the legal walkers and their sponsors for taking part in Aberdeen’s second legal walk! At the moment, £545 has been raised by our walkers for the Access to Justice Foundation, which ensures vulnerable people can access the legal help and support they need. A massive thank you to Digby Brown Solicitors for their sponsorship of our legal walk, and of course to our 26 walkers for supporting such a worthy cause.”

Please remember that you don’t have to be a lawyer to join or support us at our events, and we would like to have even more law students and lecturers, advocates, in-house lawyers, and members of law firms walking with us next year. So, if you are at all interested in helping, organising an event, fundraising or walking with us next year, or want to know more, please do get in touch.

Written by Graeme McWilliams, Chair of The Access to Justice Foundation Scotland committee

Contact Graeme: gmmcw@aol.com

https://atjf.org.uk/about-us/our-work-across-the-uk/scotland