Jane O’Sullivan is Policy Officer and CLM Northside Solicitor working in the areas of Employment and Equality Law
On Wednesday 2nd December, Community Law and Mediation (formerly Northside Community Law Centre) marked the 40th anniversary of its foundation with a very special commemorative event attended by guest of honour Uachtarain na hEireann, Michael D Higgins.
The event marked the wide range of legal services that the organisation has provided to the community initially in Coolock, then the wider Northside of Dublin, and now other parts of the country, as its services have evolved over the last 40 years.
CEO of Community Law and Mediation, Rose Wall, commented, “2015 marks a very special year in the life of Community Law & Mediation, as we celebrate 40 years of serving the community. Our organisation has a proud history. Coolock Community Law Centre, as it was then called, was established in 1975 by a number of lawyers concerned at the unmet legal needs of people living on the northside of Dublin. This was a pioneering project. The State’s decision to provide the Stardust families with a solicitor from Coolock Community Law Centre recognised the special place that the centre holds in the community.”
Community Law and Mediation works to empower individuals experiencing disadvantage. From free legal services to publishing reports on law reform to free mediation and community education, Community Law and Mediation has played an important role in the area of social justice in Ireland. On a more strategic and national level, it seeks to have a wider impact through its campaigns for law reform and by acting as a resource for other advocacy organisations. In 2012, we set up an independent law centre in Limerick in response to representations from Limerick-based community activists.
At the core of Community Law and Mediation’s work is the belief that the most effective way of breaking down the social, financial, cultural and psychological barriers which inhibit people from availing of legal and other services is through meaningful community engagement along a combination model. This means that, apart from assisting clients with their individual queries or disputes, Community Law and Mediation also looks at the issues identified in that individual work in a broader way. This is done through our community education programme, which aims to help individuals in the community to understand law and the legal system, as well as its meaning in their lives or through support and training to other advocacy organisations on using the law to assist people to assert their rights.
Our mediation service complements the legal service as an alternative dispute resolution process when the latter is not appropriate. This is particularly true of private disputes between family members and neighbours, where it is vital that good relationships are preserved and people are enabled to take important decisions over matters which affect their lives.
We would like to thank everyone who helped us to celebrate our 40 years in the community, as well as our supporters over the years including our funders, the board and advisory committee members, dedicated staff and volunteers, past and present, the many organisations who have supported us and collaborated with us over the years and, most importantly, our clients who have shown both confidence in the service and courage to challenge an injustice or address a difficulty in their lives
Click here for a short film about Community Law and Mediation, its history and work.
Click here to see Community Law and Mediation’s most recent Annual Report.