Specialist disability firms sign up to join DRC panel

DISCRIMINATION: panel to improve links and good practice

More than 40 law firms specialising in disability discrimination claims have signed up to a new panel formed by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC), it emerged this week.

The DRC has created the panel with the aim of establishing links with solicitors holding a 'genuine interest' in disability work.

It has accepted around 40 firms onto one panel specialising in employment discrimination, with smaller panels for solicitors dealing in education, and goods and services claims.

The DRC has traditionally dealt with cases in-house, but will now pay firms directly.

Fees will be capped at 120 an hour in London and 100 an hour outside the capital.

Firms which applied were judged on criteria such as expertise in particular areas, along with the arrangements they had in place to help the disabled, including access to their offices.

The DRC also looked at firms' wider experience of dealing with discrimination issues, such as working with clients with special educational needs and any voluntary work they had undertaken.

The DRC's legal director, Nick O'Brien, stressed that although the firms would not be touted as a 'panel of experts', he hoped it would create a better geographical spread of expertise for clients to access.

'The idea behind this was that when we instruct external lawyers, they have basic experience in disability and discrimination that we can draw on,' he explained.

'We thought it was also a good way of establishing links and promoting good practice in this area of law.'

Guy Hollebon of Bristol firm Bevans, which is on the panel, said the DRC has played a fundamental role in supporting cases under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

'We decided to apply because the panel represents an important partnership between the DRC and the firms chosen to be on it,' he added.

Paula Rohan