The future of Public Legal Education
The Public Legal Education and Support (PLEAS) Task Force (1) has published its report on the future of Public Legal Education.
'Developing Capable Citizens: the role of Public Legal Education', calls for a new approach to Public Legal Education (PLE) with the clear objective of increasing the capacity of individuals and communities to deal with law related problems. The report calls for government funding of a new independent PLE centre, which would take responsibility for promoting and improving PLE.
In her speech Professor Genn emphasised how common these problems are with around one million non-criminal legal problems, such as debt or money difficulties, relationship breakdown, loss of a job, or housing issues, going unresolved every year.
"The legal system exerts a strong influence on people’s lives, but many find it confusing, alien and intimidating. People often feel powerless, thinking that as an individual they won't have any chance against their employer, a government department, or a business. This means that every year a huge number of problems go unresolved, or become much more complicated and damaging than necessary."
"With a better knowledge of the law, individuals will be able to act more confidently in dealing with issues relating to debt or employment, or in disputes with landlords, for example, and know where they should go for help."
The Task Force report gives many examples of successful PLE but argues that there are significant obstacles to developing this work. PLE currently lacks a coherent identity and is still a marginal activity for most of its providers. Providers act independently with little awareness of what others are doing and there has been very little evaluation or development of agreed good practice.
The report argues that PLE needs to develop and grow dramatically to overcome these obstacles and to achieve its potential. A strategy for PLE development will include the creation of a coherent focus and identity for PLE; creation of a practitioner network and an online knowledge bank; development of good practice; evaluation and quality frameworks; PLE pilot projects and research.
The Task force recommends that an independent PLE Centre be set up as a high level strategic body to implement these proposals. This will require funding, and the report argues for five years sustained funding from Government.
An executive summary and a full report can be found on the Pleas website
(1) The independent Task Force was set up at the beginning of 2006. It was chaired by Professor Hazel Genn, drew its members from a wide range of government, legal, education and advice services and was funded by the Ministry of Justice.
