Walk this way

Written by Graeme McWilliams, Chair, Access to Justice Foundation Scotland Committee 

Graeme McWilliams provides an update on the 2024 Scottish Legal Walks and all that was achieved, plus what the profession can look forward to in 2025.

2024 was a bumper year for the Scottish Legal Walks, supported by the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates as national sponsors, as well as five individual event sponsors. The Access to Justice Foundation Scotland Committee is most grateful to them all.

We had five fabulous autumn walks in Glasgow, Falkirk, Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Over a two-week, weather-friendly window, a total of 158 walkers and eight dogs covered more than 28km and helped raise more than £4,600 for access to justice in Scotland and local legal advice charities. Everyone who took part really enjoyed the events and in-person networking, in the knowledge that they were helping to make a difference and give something back to society.

It is hard to believe that the first Scottish Legal Walk was organised in 2013, and this autumn we are hoping to organise at least another five walks. An Inverness Legal Walk and even more walkers are on our wishlist for this year.

We also have the Great Legal Bake and Great Legal Quiz to look forward to in November, and any other Scottish fundraising activities can be organised in aid of the Foundation. All funds raised in Scotland stay in Scotland.

Seeking wider support

The Access to Justice Foundation is keen to determine how the Scottish legal profession can support its cause in other ways – including law firms considering donating residual client balances under the value of £50. The Foundation is happy to receive any amount of residual client balances and can offer indemnities as required.

In England and Wales, courts and tribunals can award pro bono costs orders to the Foundation. In Scotland, in terms of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, a change to the court rules is pending to enable the Foundation to be an approved recipient of pro bono expenses awards.

The Access to Justice Foundation is registered as a charity in Scotland, raises funds with the support of the local legal profession, and makes grants to local legal advice charities to improve access to justice. To date the Foundation has awarded grants of £889,000 to 53 local legal advice charities in Scotland.

The vision of the Foundation is a society where everyone has access to justice, and its mission is to improve people’s lives by increasing the availability of legal advice and support.

We look forward to a record-breaking year in aid of access to justice and hope you can join in and help us achieve our goals. We would like to organise a lunchtime forum this year to look at what we have achieved and what more we can do, and to further discuss how we can continue to support access to justice in Scotland.

Please get in touch if you are interested in organising, supporting or volunteering at our 2025 events, or if you would like to fundraise in your area, join our committee or engage in further discussion. You can read more about our work on our website.

Written by Graeme McWilliams, Chair, Access to Justice Foundation Scotland Committee

Email: gmmcw@aol.com