Cherie Booth QC last week launched a £500,000 project to help vulnerable children in Pakistan, set up by the Law Society and British Pakistan Law Council.

'Project Advocate' will ensure that young people who are imprisoned have immediate access to legal advice in Lahore and Karachi. It has received funding from the European Commission through its European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights programme (£400,000), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (£51,400) and the Law Society Charity (£12,500).


The aim is to develop a legal aid system that provides a better service to children in detention, and to establish a network of pro bono lawyers in Pakistan and provide them with the skills to carry out work in the Punjab and Sindh regions.


Law Society President Kevin Martin said: 'This is an opportunity to improve access to justice for children in detention and to strengthen the rule of law through legal representation. We hope this kind of project will be replicated throughout Pakistan and beyond.'


Its co-ordinator, former City solicitor Mahnaz Malik, said: 'Project Advocate is an opportunity for young British and Pakistani lawyers to work together in providing legal assistance to children in detention in Pakistan through the sharing of expertise and resources.'