The Court of Appeal Civil Division
Legal Practical and Personal Support
The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is a registered charity reliant on volunteers which gives free, confidential and independent legal advice to members of the public who have cases in the Court of Appeal.
The CAB is located in the main hall of the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London. It is open on Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 1.00pm and from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. It runs a telephone help line on 0845 120 3715, which is available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11.00am to 12.00noon.
The RCJ Advice Bureau's website is at http://www.rcjadvice.org.uk/.
The assistance that you will receive depends on the particular facts of your case but generally the following help and advice is available:
- Legal advice in a wide range of areas
- Help with the preparation of papers. This includes explaining and completing forms such as the appellant's notice. It also involves preparing bundles of documents for the Court's consideration in accordance with the legal requirements laid down by the Civil Procedure Rules
- Help with obtaining the necessary documents such as the transcript of the judgment from the lower court whose decision you are appealing against
- Help with the writing of correspondence. The CAB may, with the client's consent, correspond with the Court, the respondent and the respondent's representatives on the client's behalf
- Help with correcting mistakes. A case may be dismissed/ended if the bundles filed are defective. The Civil Appeals Office will usually set a deadline by which defects must be remedied. The Bureau can help a litigant in preparing the necessary and appropriate documentation
- Where non-legal help is needed, the CAB will refer to the Personal Support Unit (PSU)
- Preparing additional bundles of documents
- In appropriate circumstances, the CAB can refer cases to the Bar Pro Bono Unit
"The Bar Pro Bono Unit has been working closely with the RCJ Advice Bureau. Between them they provide an invaluable service to litigants in person". The Right Honourable the Lord Phillips, the Master of the Rolls.
Under the Court of Appeal's scheme, the Civil Appeals Office notifies all unrepresented litigants who have been granted permission to appeal that they can obtain assistance by contacting the CAB. This scheme does not extend to those seeking permission to appeal but where help is needed at this stage, the RCJ Advice Bureau can offer support.
The CAB cannot represent an individual before the court or sign documents on someone's behalf.
The CAB has a very useful website "Advice Guide" (http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/) that provides up to date and practical information about a wide range of topics and in a variety of languages such as Welsh, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu and Chinese.
The Personal Support Unit is located in room M 104 in front of Court 5 in the central block of the Royal Courts of Justice in London. You can call them directly on 020 7947 7701/7703. Their fax number is 020 7947 7702. You can contact them via email, or visit their website at http://www.thepsu.co.uk/.