NewLaw Solicitors secure Legal Aid for Pembrokeshire pupils locked in ‘time-out’ room

May 1, 2013 - PRLog -- Cardiff based law firm NewLaw Solicitors has secured Legal Aid for young people who are still in education, on benefits or low income who were unlawfully locked in ‘time-out’ rooms. The law firm is urging pupils to come forward if they experienced the damaging ‘time out’ practices in Pembrokeshire.

This follows an investigation led by the Welsh Government which uncovered that pupils were locked in a ‘time-out’ room at the Pupil Referral Unit in Neyland, Pembrokeshire with no light, no food and no access to a toilet for hours at a time.  

The Legal Aid will be available claimants with either no or very limited income and will cover both solicitor’s fees and court costs. NewLaw were able to secure this from the Legal Services Commission despite recent cuts to Legal Aid provision, demonstrating the severity of the cases and the expertise of the solicitors dealing with the claims.

NewLaw is  the only law firm in the UK which has been granted the ability to provide Legal Aid for Welsh ‘time-out’ victims and has been dealing with the lead case, which will set a precedent for all other cases brought forward.  Ten open cases have already been granted Legal Aid and more are expected over the coming months.

Leading education law specialist Michael Imperato, from NewLaw, said: “Anybody who has been affected by these practices can now come forward to receive the help they need and deserve, without fear of being saddled with unmanageable legal bills.

“It’s really important that the children affected are able to get the psychological help they need and almost all will now be eligible for Legal Aid. We know that some pupils have experienced nightmares and panic attacks as a result of their experiences being held in the ‘time-out’ room and may need therapy and other treatments to reduce the psychological damage caused.

“That we have managed to secure Legal Aid for all low-income cases just proves that the Legal Services Commission accept these are good cases and that they are of great public interest. We would urge anybody who has not yet made a claim to contact us immediately.

“These cases raise issues of breach of human rights, false imprisonment, assault and negligence. We also believe that the cases may be more widespread across Wales and would encourage ex-pupils from other districts who have suffered similarly to contact us.”

NewLaw are working with independent advocator Hayley Wood to encourage more people to come forward. For more information, please contact NewLaw’s Head of ELPL and Occupational Illness, Michael Imperato, on 029 2078 4506.