Miners' lawyer takes prize

GAZETTE AWARDS: trainee solicitor recognised for helping Asian women and asylum seekers

Richard Meeran, a partner at London firm Leigh Day & Co, was named human rights lawyer of the year last week at the Gazette-sponsored Liberty/Justice human rights awards.

Mr Meeran, a personal injury specialist, received the award in recognition of his work to ensure access to justice for workers injured by multi-national corporations abroad.

He represents many of the South African miners with asbestos poisoning, who last year settled with UK company Cape for 21 million.

The judges, who included the Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, Law Society President Carolyn Kirby and Bar Council chairman David Bean QC, praised his 'commitment to the protection of workers' rights to decent working conditions and a safe environment'.

Dr Stephen Whittle won the human rights award 2002 for his work as vice-president and founder of Press For Change, a political lobbying and educational organisation campaigning for equal civil rights and liberties for transgender people.

He is a senior law lecturer at Manchester University, and was praised by the judges for his 'dedication to ensuring the advancement of rights for transsexual people through judicial means'.

The Peter Duffy award for the young human rights lawyer of the year went to Monira Hussain, a trainee solicitor at west Yorkshire law firm Inesons.

The judges praised her 'outstanding personal and professional commitment to helping secure basic rights for Asian women, asylum seekers and young offenders'.

Christopher Digby-Bell, managing director of Palmer Capital Partners and a Law Society Council member, was given a special award by the judges for his work as honorary legal adviser to the Downs Syndrome Association.

They singled out his 'innovative and unique project teaching children with learning difficulties about the law, justice and their rights'.

The lifetime achievement award was given to Mrs Justice Laura Cox QC, who this year became the seventh female High Court judge.

She was praised for her 'commitment to the protection of equality and human rights', especially her help in securing rights for transsexuals.

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, giving the keynote speech, said: 'In today's political climate, fighting for basic human rights is more important than it has ever been.' She drew particular attention to the potential civil liberty infringements in the new anti-terrorism and data protection legislation.

The shortlisted candidates for the human rights lawyer of the year were: Les Allamby, Law Centre (Northern Ireland), for his work in ensuring effective access to justice for all sections of the community in Northern Ireland; Stephen Grosz, partner at London firm Bindman & Partners, for his contribution to the protection of human rights; and Adrienne Page QC, Adam Speker (both 5 Raymond Buildings) and Richard Osborne (SJ Cornish) for their efforts to secure access to justice for people falsely accused of child abuse.

Organisations shortlisted for the human rights award 2002 were: Public Concern at Work for its campaign lobbying for protection of whistleblowers; the Howard League for Penal Reform for its development of a youth justice law department and its work challenging policy and practice through test cases; and the 1990 Trust for its anti-racism and human rights work with the African, Caribbean and Asian communities.

Lawyers under 35 on the Peter Duffy award shortlist were: Jonathan Peddie of Clifford Chance, for establishing a pro bono advocacy scheme for Victim Support; Natalia Garcia of Tyndallwoods, for her work protecting the rights of asylum seekers and foreign nationals detained under anti-terrorism law; and barrister Paul Troop for his work towards ending discrimination for the over-65s.

Victoria MacCallum