Monthly Archives: August 2015

Medway law student interviewed by Sky news and national radio

Medway law student Gemma Blythe has been interviewed by Sky News and a national radio station, both broadcasters seeking her perspective on the latest cuts to legal aid.

Gemma, a stage 2 LLB Law student, studying part-time at the University’s Medway campus, is an active committee member of Young Legal Aid Lawyers (YLAL) and a founding member of the YLAL Kent group. She also works as a Criminal Caseworker for law firm Kent Defence.

In the Sky News article ‘Barristers strike over cuts to legal aid‘, Gemma was interviewed along with Jonathan Black, president of the London Criminal Court Solicitors Association, Joanne Cecil, a barrister at Garden Court Chambers, and a Ministry of Justice spokesperson. Her views were sought after barristers made a decision to strike in solidarity with criminal defence solicitors, who face cuts of 8.75% to their fees. Gemma was quoted as saying: ‘Those who cannot afford to pay for a solicitor, and those who are denied legal aid, are suffering at the hands of the Government.’

Former BBC sports presenter Georgie Frost also interviewed Gemma for her daily ‘Consuming Issues’ show, a consumer finance programme on Share Radio. In the interview, Gemma details how ongoing cuts to legal aid are dramatically affecting the amount that solicitors and barristers are paid and how ‘proper pay’ for legal professionals is important to ensure the best representation possible for clients seeking justice.

Follow Gemma on her blog ‘Thoughts on the criminal Justice System‘ and on Twitter @gemma_blythe.

Join us for the 50th Festival

The full programme for the 50th Festival, 4-6 September 2015, is now available.

We have celebrated the University’s 50th anniversary year in style and the stage is now set for the grand finale. The Festival is an open invitation to all staff to come to campus at the weekend, bringing family and friends to join the fun.

The weekend begins on Friday evening with a celebratory event at Canterbury Cathedral to which all staff are warmly invited – please register for this event as tickets are going fast.

The campus will be transformed with a welcoming festival atmosphere on the Saturday and Sunday, with over 100 activities and performances with which to get involved. From street entertainment and science experiments to live music and creative performances, there will be something for everyone! There will also be activities for children so staff can bring their families with them on the day.

At present, over 1,000 alumni, friends and former staff from all over the world have registered for the weekend and we look forward to welcoming them home to Kent.

Many staff are already supporting their school or department in staging an event; please email the Events team if you would like to help during the weekend.