Pioneering legal aid lawyers were commended for their work last week, with a London-based sole practitioner coming out top as legal aid personality of the year.

Sole practitioner Ole Hansen, who runs a practice covering areas from welfare benefits to civil liberties, clinched his prize at the Legal Aid Practitioners Group's legal aid lawyer of the year awards. Mr Hansen, who has worked on high-profile cases such as the Birmingham Six, was also recognised for his work at the Legal Action Group.


The awards, run in conjunction with Independent Lawyer magazine, saw Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, partner at London firm Scott-Moncrieff Harbour & Sinclair, win the mental health prize. Stephen Scully, an assistant at Staffordshire-based Ian Henery & Co, clinched the criminal defence award.


London firm Tyrer Roxburgh's partners Luigi Sterlini and Linda Rand won the team award for their social welfare work. Shazia Khan, partner at Christian Khan, was named young legal aid solicitor of the year and Helen Williams, an associate at Cardiff firm Morgans, received the social and welfare accolade.


Other winners included immigration specialist Anna Skehan, from Islington law centre, with Peggy Ray, partner at London firm Goodman Ray, seizing the family law trophy.


David Watkinson of 2 Garden Court, London, won barrister of the year for his work with travellers, and Edward Grieves at 10-11 Gray's Inn Square, London, was recognised for his immigration practice.


The judging panel was headed by Cherie Booth QC, who called for more faith in legal aid lawyers from the government and the Legal Services Commission. 'We have to be very careful in the way that we structure the legal aid system and not treat all lawyers as people who are out to make a quick buck,' she warned. 'We do our jobs overwhelmingly in the public interest.'