Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Access to Justice Clinic receives significant Student Experience Grant

We are pleased to share that Aideen Byrne, Pro Bono and Clinical Legal Education Coordinator, and Gabriella Barnes, Diploma in Professional Legal Practice Student, have been awarded a significant Student Experience Grant for their project: Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Access to Justice Clinic.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in Scotland and throughout the UK face grave human rights abuses. This project seeks to help plug the justice gap and enable further access to justice for these communities through a student co-created clinic. The clinic aims to take a hybrid approach of live client cases and research addressing access to justice and human rights violations experienced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in Scotland.

The project team is keen for community members to play key roles in the development and operation of this clinic and encourages anyone who is part of these communities, whether student, staff, or members of the public, to get in touch by contacting Aideen Byrne at aideen.byrne@ed.ac.uk.

As this is predominantly a volunteer enabled clinic, any academics or staff who would like to provide their expertise and support are also encouraged to contact the team.

This will be Scotland’s first and the only UK university law clinic dedicated to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller access to justice issues. It will also be one of the first hybrid clinics approaching live client and research/policy work in the UK.

Students will collaborate to fundamentally impact this project while improving their overall student experience, build their knowledge and skills, and contribute to the development of clinical legal pedagogy while supporting marginalised communities by building their power through access to justice. It is hoped that this project will successfully contribute to increased equality, diversity, and inclusion within the Edinburgh Law School community and support the School’s anti-racism and decolonial work.

This project is supported by alumni and friends of the University of Edinburgh through the Student Experience Grants scheme. We are also grateful to the support received in the foundational work exploring this clinic idea including those in Edinburgh Law School, University College Cork Traveller Equality and Justice Project, Marc Willers QC of Garden Court Chambers, Family Friends and Travellers, and Probonoskills.com.