Legal Advice Centre launches Windrush 'justice' scheme

Britons should be supporting the claims of thousands of ‘Windrush’ immigrants who were “sold the idea that Britain was their Mother country”.

Councillor Tom Cardwell, who was speaking at the launch on Thursday of the LJMU School of Law’s partnership with Liverpool Advocates For Windrush (L.A.W.), reminded us during Black History Month that people arriving from 1948 from the ‘colonies’ were “encouraged to come”.

Tom is among a host of local politicians, including Kim Johnson MP, and community and legal groups, who are backing the university’s advocacy scheme collaboration to support Windrush communities.

The scheme sees School of Law students and academics offer free pro bono guidance to anyone seeking redress through the Windrush Schemes, with supervision from legal professionals.

The official launch (24 October) came on the day Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a new fund to support the claims of first, second and third generation ‘arrivals’ in a reversal of Priti Patel’s ‘hostile environment’ policies.

A gathering at Roscoe House, which included Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power and Professor Dan Silverstone, Interim Director of the School, heard powerful testimony from Trinidad-born Shane Smith, whose British mother moved back to Liverpool with Shane when he was four months old and has wrongly been told he is not a British citizen.

As a result, Shane lost his job and become homeless. “Employers wouldn’t take me on for fear of being fined,” he said. “To be honest, I’ve just found the process of applying for citizenship and the rest very complex and stressful.”

L.A.W. believe thousands of people across Merseyside may be entitled to justice and compensation under a scheme set up by the Home Office.

L.A.W. joint-founder Tonika Stephenson, said: “Windrush is a British scandal and needs to be rectified by British society. These people are still facing grave uncertainties because of historic pieces of immigration legislation enacted to affect minorities.

“We've seen how British society supports similar injustices, such as the post-office scandal and the blood scandal. Why is the same support not being afforded to the Windrush Scandal?”

Rachel Stalker, who runs the School of Law’s Legal Advice Centre, said: “We’re working with L.A.W. in offering free, transparent and professional support to the Windrush community in the North-West who need help in applying for compensation through the government scheme, or assistance with ongoing applications.”

Kim Johnson MP said the Legal Advice Centre work with Windrush was a great opportunity for students to take on real cases. She said: “It’s fantastic to have a resource like this in our city to help people affected because access to justice is a real ongoing issue.”

- LJMU’s Legal Advice Centre is open to individuals and businesses for advice and guidance on family, civil disputes, commercial matters and much more. The Centre opened on Hardman Street in 2022 and houses the legal centre where the advice is conducted by law students, under supervision.

IMAGE: Tonika Stephenson, Shane Smith and Rachel Stalker at Thursday's lauch.