Madeleine Southey joined us as a tenant in September 2024 after successfully completing pupillage. She has a mixed practice in housing, property, probate and commercial law. To celebrate Pro Bono Week, she discusses one of her pro bono cases from the past year.
Please tell us about the pro bono work you did
During pupillage I represented pro bono a vulnerable man with disabilities. He was at risk of having an anti-social behaviour injunction made against him because he had refused to give his landlord access to his home to carry out a “tenancy audit” inspecting the condition of the home and interviewing him about his occupancy.
What impact did the pro bono work have on the people and communities you worked with?
I was able to argue that my client’s conduct didn’t amount to housing-related anti-social behaviour which sent an important message about his right to respect for his privacy and peaceful enjoyment of his home. Although an injunction for access was granted to enable the council to maintain the property, we put in place several important safeguards to accommodate my client’s disabilities and avoided the label of ‘anti-social behaviour’.
Did your pro bono work have an impact on your professional career? If so, in what ways?
I took on the case because I wanted to help someone who would otherwise face potentially stressful court proceedings alone.
But in doing so I was also commended by Advocate (who had referred the case to me) for completing my ‘pupil pledge’.
Advocate publicised by pro bono case on social media (as did my chambers) so it helped raise my profile more broadly which is useful for me at this early stage in my career.
Any final comments
Given his vulnerability, I’m unsure that my client would have achieved the same outcome without pro bono support.
A few hours of my time made a big difference to him and his living arrangements.
I would encourage any barrister with a couple of hours to spare to take on a pro bono piece of work. You can take on a discrete aspect of a case, you don’t have to see the matter all the way through if you don’t have time.