Barrister Steve Broach sets out options for campaigners considering legal challenge.
Steve Broach, a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers, has today published a paper for campaigners – including parents and carers – who are considering challenging local service decisions using the law.
This paper, Using the Law to Fight the Cuts to Disabled Children’s Services, has been written in response to the deep concern that campaigners have expressed that many decisions are currently being taken to cut services for disabled children and families without proper consideration of what the law requires. It is designed to ensure that campaigners have the legal tools to ensure that even in a time of intense pressure on public finances the legal rights of disabled children and their families are respected.
Steve said 'When substantial cuts to services are proposed or announced families with disabled children often feel powerless to respond. However there are clear legal duties which must be complied with by public bodies which wish to cut services - and if these duties are ignored decisions may be overturned by the courts. I hope this paper helps give parent campaigners and others who are trying to defend disabled children's services some of the information they need to challenge these decisions.'
This paper will be followed in the Spring by a guide to the law for parents and carers which provides more detailed practical legal information to support conversations with local decision makers.
