Madeleine Horton (Southey) has a mixed practice in civil, employment, property, housing, family and public law. She often undertakes pro bono work and previously achieved the Advocate pro bono 'pupil pledge' for pro bono work undertaken during pupillage.
In celebration of Pro Bono Week, she discusses 2 cases she has acted in pro bono during the last year.
Please tell us about the pro bono work you did
This year I agreed to represent a client in a 3-day employment tribunal pro-bono. We managed to settle the claim on the morning of the 1st day, which was a great outcome for the client.
I also saw the end of another pro bono matter that I have been working on for the past couple of years. It involved an application for a transfer of tenancy where the tenant’s ex-husband had disappeared many years before and the local authority landlord would not remove him from the tenancy agreement without a court order.
The case had dragged on for a long time, because of numerous issues with the court administration. I advised the client and her case worker, reviewed evidence and applications, and liaised with the court and judge on their behalf.
What impact did the pro bono work have on the people and communities you worked with?
Pro bono representation made a world of difference to my employment law client. Having representation meant she had access to clear advice on offers to settle and the reassurance that she would be fully represented if the final hearing went ahead.
She was seeking compensation for unfair dismissal and discrimination against her former employer, a company she had worked with for nearly 10 years.
With professional support, she achieved the certainty of a settlement without the risks and distress a trial would entail. She was delighted with the outcome and thanked me and the entire pro bono team from the bottom of her heart.
While the final hearing in the housing law case ended up taking place while I was on leave, I was delighted to hear that our preparation resulted in the order being made.
The client was a vulnerable woman with limited IT access and a language barrier. With no legal aid available for a case of this nature, and given the administrative hurdles, I doubt she would have achieved this result without the support of pro bono help.
Did your pro bono work have an impact on your professional career? If so, in what ways?
Pro bono work is hugely beneficial to my practice. It's about knowing that I am making a difference to people who face barriers to securing legal representation and assistance. But it also broadens the type of work I am exposed to, plus allows me to challenge myself.
Any final comments
I am hoping to increase my pro bono practice even more in the coming years, and would encourage everyone to do the same. Other altruistic works such as charity fundraising are important. However not everyone can give pro bono representation which, as a barrister, I think is the single best way I can help those in need.