Solicitor to launch London's first race discrimination unit this June

North Lambeth Law Centre has linked up with Two Garden Court Chambers to launch London's first race discrimination unit (RDU), designed to give race claimants free legal advice and representation from 5 June.The unit has secured 150,000 of Home Office funding from the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) to take on 250 cases in its first 12 months.

Earlier this year, the CRE put out two tenders.

The Northern Complainant Aid Fund has won 100,000 to represent race claimants in the midlands.It is understood that the Home Office pledged the 250,000 one-off fund in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence murder.

Solicitor Lawrence Davies, North Lambeth's RDU project manager, said: 'At present, 65-70% of race claimants are not represented at tribunal and only 5% of unrepresented applicants win their cases.

This means that you have a 95% chance of losing your race case without legal representation.' North Lambeth beat off stiff competition from about 20 other organisations to win the one-year contract.

Mr Davies said the bid included the establishment of a duty solicitor scheme at tribunal, a Web site, a do-it-yourself guide and outreach advice sessions.Two Garden Court has agreed to provide 100 days of tribunal representation to the unit.

'It is perhaps the first example of a community legal partnership between a law centre and a set of chambers,' said Mr Davies.The unit has started to take emergency cases in advance of the official opening and has already won an 80,000 settlement on behalf of a race claimant working for a multinational company.

It is expecting a decision this month in the case of a Londoner who claims his line-manager called him a 'black prat' after physically assaulting him.Meanwhile, a CRE report on the government's plans to restrict the right to jury trial has found that removing the option of a Crown Court trial would 'sustain patterns of racial discrimination in the criminal justice system'.

The report, by Professor Lee Bridges of Warwick University, was based on 299 cases culled from law firms' files.

It said the government had ignored the circumstances that lead to defendants changing their pleas to guilty in the Crown Court.

Anne Mizzi