Launch of the Manchester Chancery Litigant in Person Support Scheme (M-CLIPS)

This duty scheme will mirror existing arrangements in London, Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds, providing on-the-day advice and advocacy for unrepresented parties on the Interim Applications List of the Business and Property Court on nominated Fridays.   

Barristers with post-pupillage Chancery experience will be able to volunteer to be on duty for one day at a time, and will be required to be at the designated conference room in the Manchester CJC on the day on which they are volunteering, and will accept instructions under the licensed access auspices of Advocate.  

Following the success of existing CLIPS Schemes, we have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from volunteers who have found that volunteering through the Scheme presents a fantastic opportunity not only to build advocacy experience, but also to work with cases that deal with often fascinating points of law requiring specialist knowledge.  

Commenting on the success of the Scheme, HHJ David Hodge KC and HHJ Richard Pearce said: 

The Manchester Business and Property Courts Judges are delighted that Advocate have chosen to launch their latest Chancery Litigant in Person Support Scheme in Manchester. We are aware of the considerable benefits that the first such scheme has brought to unrepresented litigants in the Rolls Building. We trust that the new M-CLIPS scheme will prove as successful and enduring as CLIPS has proved to be there. We recognise the potential benefits that M-CLIPS will bring for unrepresented parties faced with unfamiliar forms of relief, such as freezing orders and injunctions to enforce post-termination restraints and duties of confidence. We are grateful to the many advocates who have volunteered to assist with the M-CLIPS scheme. We trust that they too will benefit from the challenges this may bring in terms of greater exposure to the BPC s.9 and district judges and possibly unfamiliar heads of claim.

Furthermore, Mr Justice Fancourt said: 

"I am delighted to welcome the new M-CLIPS scheme and wish everyone involved the best of luck in running it. The CLIPS scheme provides benefits all round: to litigants in person, judges, the other court users, and not least the volunteers themselves, and I am confident that it will be a success in Manchester."

The Scheme was launched at an event very kindly hosted by 23ES Chambers (Waterhouse, 2nd Floor, 41 Spring Gardens, M2 2BG) on 10th September 2024. Here we provided further information on how the Scheme will operate in Manchester, with short talks from those involved in its development, one of the judges who will be hearing the M-CLIPS list, and a Q&A session. The event was followed by networking over drinks.   

To sign up to attend the launch event, to volunteer for the Scheme, or for further information, please contact our Schemes Caseworker, Jessica, at manchesterprobono@weareadvocate.org.uk.