Today, our Mr Darragh Mackin appeared before the St Helena’s Court of Appeal on behalf of the St Helena’s Human Rights Commission in a seminal case on the access to justice for the citizens of St Helena.
St. Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, is one of the most remote settlements in the world with a population just over 4,000 citizens. As a result of medical negligence claims initiated on the Island, an issue arose about the ability for a citizen to recover their costs when they instruct legal teams from outside the Island, an issue which had much wider ramifications beyond the instant proceedings.
The case in question, Peters v Attorney General of St Helena & Another, is expected to set a significant precedent concerning access to justice on the island, an issue at the core of human rights.
Given the wider ramifications, the St Helenas Equality and Human Rights Commission (‘The Commission’) applied to intervene in the instant proceedings to make submissions on the wider ramifications and the importance of the principle of access to justice for islanders.
Our Darragh Mackin was instructed by the St Helena Equality and Human Rights Commission to represent the broader interests of public access to justice in this appeal. The application to intervene involved the importance of access to justice under human rights and international law.
The outcome of Peters v Attorney General of St Helena & Another is anticipated with great interest, not only by the residents of St Helena but also by the international human rights community. A ruling in favour of enhancing access to justice could set an important precedent for other jurisdictions with similar challenges.
Our Darragh Mackin was instructed by Ms Catherine Turner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Phoenix Law appeared with International expert Counsel team Mr Hugh Mercer KC and Ms Naomi Hart both of Essex Court Chambers, London.
For any further enquiries please contact: media@phoenix-law.org
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