“Our mission is to work towards an inclusive community based on equal human rights and social justice, and to support the people of Ballymun to access justice as a human right.”

Despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic in 2020 the Law Centre managed to continue providing legal advice, information and representation services to our clients. Demand for our services increased during the year, no doubt due to the impact of the pandemic on the community. Support for mediation continued over the telephone where possible and new policies and procedures were developed to deliver ADR services remotely.

Legal matters involving family, housing and employment law continue to dominate the needs of those presenting to the service. As in previous years our Legal Education Programme provided a range of courses including Child and Family Law Courses and a variety of lunch time talks. In 2020, following the lockdown in March, these services were delivered remotely on zoom with great success.

Much of the work of the Law Centre could not be delivered without our volunteers; mediators, barristers, teachers, lecturers, and organisation leaders. To all our volunteers, thank you for your generosity of time and on-going dedication to provide legal, education and mediation services to the people of Ballymun.

In 2020, Dublin City Council continued to fund us through the Social Regeneration Programme as well as providing us with modern fit for purpose office premises in Shangan Neighbourhood Centre. We are very grateful to Dublin City Council for their ongoing support. We also would like to thank the members of the Law Society of Ireland who continue to generously support the Law Centre.

Link: Ballymun Community Law Centre Annual Report 2020