Author: Karen

The Impact of Domestic Abuse on Mental Health

/ Karen / Leave a comment
To mark World Mental Health Day earlier this week, Sarah Bruce & Dympna McKeown of Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid wrote the following article which very eloquently looks at the impact that domestic violence and abuse can have on a person’s mental health. 

We are very grateful to Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid for allowing us to share this piece with our followers:-

World Mental health Day_October 17_Blog1 (002)

If you require assistance in relation to domestic abuse, you can call the 24 Hour Domestic and Sexual Violence Helpline, a completely confidential service, on 0808 802 1414
If you require any further information on the law regarding domestic abuse in NI, please feel free to contact us directly on info@fhanna.co.uk 

 

Citizens Advice Debt Advice Service

/ Karen / Leave a comment

CAB logoCitizens Advice Northern Ireland launched their Free Debt Advice Service funded by the Money Advice Service in April 2016. 

In her guest blog for Life Law NI, Gemma Willis, Money Advice Project Manager, Citizens Advice, describes the service and how to get in touch.

______________________________________

The Citizens Advice Debt Advice Service was launched following recent research from Money Advice Service which showed that 15% of the adult population in Northern Ireland are over indebted.  

The service aims to provide advice and support for those who are struggling to deal with debt. This is now more important than ever when we consider that in our society, many families face new and challenging pressures. One of the greatest of these is debt.

The Citizens Advice Debt Advice Service offers free, confidential and impartial advice and is available throughout Northern Ireland via face to face, telephone and online services.  We offer debt advice in each Council area and our freephone helpline is available across Northern Ireland.

 Clients can access the service in the following ways:-

Problem debt is rarely an isolated financial problem without additional consequence. The stress of managing tight finances, dealing with creditors, as well as the stigma associated with problem debt can lead to mental health difficulties, family breakdown and addiction.

Citizens Advice Northern Ireland wants to engage with clients at the earliest opportunity as unfortunately research also shows that individuals will wait more than a year before they seek advice.  This leads to further distress and pressure on families.

You can speak directly to a specialist debt adviser at Citizens Advice in Northern Ireland by clicking here. Our webchat service is open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. If outside these hours, you can leave a message and a Debt Adviser will get straight back to you on the following working day.

For further information on this service, feel free to visit our website at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/nireland/debt-and-money/

LIFE BITE: Supreme Court rules that NHS in England is not compelled to provide abortion services to NI women

/ Karen / Leave a comment
apple-150579_1280On 14th June 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the Secretary of State for Health in England was not acting unlawfully by failing to provide NHS funding to women who travel from Northern Ireland to England to access abortions

Presently, women from Northern Ireland, except for in exceptional cases, must pay for abortion care privately, notwithstanding their status as UK citizens and (in many cases) UK taxpayers. 

This point of law was challenged in  R (A and B) v Secretary of State for Health).  The case  involved a 15-year-old girl, A, who became pregnant in 2012. A did not want to continue with the pregnancy and so with the support of her mother, B, she arranged to have a termination in England.

A and B were surprised to learn that as A was resident in Northern Ireland, she would have to pay privately for the termination in England. B commenced proceedings on behalf of her daughter to challenge the lawfulness of this policy.

A and B submitted that the Secretary of State for Health was acting unlawfully in refusing to permit women from NI to access NHS funded abortions.  They further argued that women in NI were being discriminated against as compared to other women in the UK

A and B were unsuccessful in the High Court and in the Court of Appeal and the matter was then referred to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court held, by a 3-2 majority, that the Secretary of State was not obligated to provide abortion services to UK citizens usually resident in Northern Ireland, and was instead entitled to respect the “democratic decision” of the devolved administration in Northern Ireland and acknowledge the ability to purchase private abortions.  This position was not agreed upon by dissenting Judges Lord Kerr and Lady Hale.  Lady Hale noted ;-

“The difference in treatment by the NHS in England between women from England and women from Northern Ireland cannot be justified by respect for the democratic decisions made in Northern Ireland as to what will be provided by the NHS there”.

LIFE BITE: Baby Charlie Gard’s parents lose Supreme Court appeal for US medical treatment

/ Karen / Leave a comment

apple-150579_1280The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal made by the parents of sick baby Charlie Gard, over plans to take him to the US for experimental medical treatment.

Charlie suffers from a rare genetic condition called mitochondrial depletion syndrome. His parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates, both from London, want to take their 10-month-old son to the US to undergo a therapy trial there.

Earlier this year, both the High Court and Court of Appeal ruled in favour of medical staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, who said it was kinder for brain damaged Charlie to be given end-of-life care and that he should not be taken to the US for experimental treatment, despite his parents’ wishes.

On 8th June 2017, the Supreme Court has also dismissed the couple’s latest challenge for their son to receive US medical treatment. Charlie’s parents have now made an emergency appeal to the European Court.

This case highlights the difficulties faced when parents and doctors are at loggerheads as to the best way to medically treat a minor child.  It raises the question –Who should have the ultimate say when it comes to deciding what is best for a child in terms of medical care?

If you are interested in where the law stands on this topic in Northern Ireland please click onto our blog post Medical Treatment and Your Children

Should you need any further information, please feel free to contact us confidentially by email

LIFE BITE: Blind woman wins landmark NI Court challenge over kerb height

/ Karen / Leave a comment

apple-150579_1280A recent ruling before NI’s High Court highlights how the legal actions of an individual can help both effect change and highlight the need for equality in our society.

On 12th May 2017, a blind woman from Lisburn won a landmark High Court challenge against Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s plan to reduce kerb heights in Lisburn city centre as part of  the city’s regeneration scheme.

This regeneration scheme is aimed at transforming the streets in the centre of Lisburn and creating new paving and kerbs around the Bow Street and Market Square areas of the city centre.

Joanna Toner had taken a legal case against Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council after fearing that the scheme would result in her being excluded from parts of her own city centre due to the risk of stepping out and being hit by traffic.   Joanna commented;  “If you can’t tell where the path ends and the road begins you’re just not safe from stepping out into traffic.”  She was supported in her challenge by Guide Dogs NI and the Royal National Institute of Blind People in Northern Ireland.

The Court ruled that the Council had breached its legal duty to ensure equality for disabled people, particularly the blind, and quashed the Council’s decision to lower the kerb height.

In his judgment, Mr. Justice Maguire said: “There is clear evidence that the blind or partially sighted as a group of disabled people were likely to be affected by the way the scheme was designed and built.”

Mrs. Toner was delighted with the outcome of the case and commented that; “The Council have to take into consideration the needs of disabled people in every decision they take.”

Our legal system in Northern Ireland plays a primary role in ensuring that the rights of people like Mrs. Toner are protected within society.
Judicial Review is a type of Court proceeding in which a Judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body.  The decisions of our government, local authorities and other public bodies are all able to be challenged via our Court system if it can be shown that the decision made was  unlawful.
For more information on Judicial Review, please feel free to contact us here confidentially or email us on kconnolly@fhanna.co.uk