THE DEFENDANT

The Defendant is a legal charity that provides emotional and practical support to defendants and their family members navigating the Criminal Justice System, regardless of guilt or innocence. Being accused of a crime leaves people feeling judged and ostracised, with little to no access to support either in explanation of the process or its impact. The Defendant is the only organisation in the UK dedicated to those accused of crimes, and their families, to ease what can often be the most difficult experience of their lives.

The Defendant was set up in 2020 by falsely accused Liam Allan, Hannah Arkwright, barrister and author Christian Weaver, Ella Blake and Freya Wood. In 2022, The Defendant hosted its first public legal education conference, sponsored by the University of Manchester. The conference was featured in The Times and covered topics from tenancy to consumer rights, to provide attendees with the knowledge of their legal rights as UK citizens.

Now more than ever before, accused people need information about procedure and timelines, they need mental health support and they need to learn how to ensure that the evidence in their case is secured before it is too late. Solicitors and barristers working under the legal aid scheme simply do not have the resources to provide this level of support.

One of the most important things we do for defendants and their families is offer support via a helpline and our email support service. Our dedicated volunteers provide a non-judgemental space for callers to talk about what they they are going through, which can often be the most difficult experience of their lives. Our helpline is free for callers to call.

Our goal with this Crowdfund is to raise the funds we need to be able to continue to run our vital helpline and email support service and support those who need us.

 Our website is www.thedefendant.org.uk.

For any queries please email [email protected]