Glasgow's Emma Ritch Law Clinic to support complainers
Funding to establish a unique law clinic designed to increase access to justice in Scotland for complainers in sexual offences cases has been awarded to the University of Glasgow.
Said to be the first of its kind in the UK, the Emma Ritch Law Clinic will honour Emma Ritch, a pioneering campaigner for women’s rights and graduate of the university, who sadly passed away in 2021.
As well as offering legal advice through a specially constituted legal practice unit, the law clinic will offer innovative teaching to students, and carry out research, providing an insight into the difference that specialist legal advice and representation can make to complainers’ experiences of prosecution, and gather data to increase understanding of why cases might fail to reach, or progress, through the criminal justice system.
The clinic will also instil awareness of trauma-informed lawyering, and the practice of criminal law.
Situated in the University’s School of Law, it will be led by three co-directors, Eamon Keane, Dr Jacqueline Kinghan and Professor Nicole Busby, who have complementary expertise in legal practice, education and research respectively. Seed funding to establish the clinic has been provided by the Sam and Bella Sebba Foundation, with additional support provided by the Scottish Government.
It will operate in partnership with Rape Crisis Scotland and other referral agencies, to target unmet legal need through the provision of specialist legal advice and representation.
Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: "The Emma Ritch Law Clinic represents the continued commitment to develop social change legal education at the University of Glasgow. The clinic joins a series of initiatives designed by the School of Law to support our students and academics to use the law and their legal skills to make a positive difference to society."
Sandy Brindley of Rape Crisis Scotland commented: "The Emma Ritch Clinic could be transformative for rape complainers seeking justice in Scotland.
"We know that many survivors feel as though they are at the margins of the justice process and unprepared for the experience of going to court. It can also be hard for survivors to meaningfully access their rights because of difficulties accessing suitable legal advice and representation. Having access to a lawyer who understands the system can make a huge difference to somebody’s experience.
"The Emma Ritch Clinic will help Scotland lead the way in improving rape survivors’ access to justice. Emma Ritch was a long time member of the Rape Crisis Scotland Board of Directors and was passionate about improving rape survivors’ position in the justice system. We’re very grateful to the University of Glasgow for naming the clinic after Emma. We can’t think of a more fitting legacy."