Legal Activist Project Support For Arrested Protestors and Activists

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Topic: Law

Legal systems are different in every country. However, for actions where it is likely that participants will be arrested, it is always useful to have a ‘legal support team’. This advice on forming such a team in Britain is adapted from the first section of a much longer briefing by the Activist Legal Project.

Legal support may be a background but it can be absolutely vital.

What are the Aims of Legal Support?

To make sure everyone going on the action is prepared for arrest
To liaise with police and solicitors to ensure that arrested activists have appropriate support whilst in custody
To ensure that once released activists have the emotional and practical support they need

Legal Support Group Roles

The number of people involved in the legal support group will depend upon the size of the action and the number of arrests expected. A number of essential roles have to be fulfilled:

Preparing a written legal briefing for the action, including information on arrest procedure, what happens at the police station, likely offences, likely outcomes, bail and first court hearing.
Preparing and distributing ‘bustcards’ to people going on the action – these contain phone numbers in case of arrest
Staffing a phone line (the legal support number), waiting for calls from detainees at police stations.
Co-ordination – preparing and updating a definitive list of who has been arrested, including their contacts details, and whether they have been released
Police station support – giving support at the police station(s) to arrestees, liaising with solicitors at the police station(s) and meeting detainees on their release from custody
Logistics – organising vehicles, drivers, and possibly accommodation to collect and house people released from police custody
Organise a defendants’ meeting after the action

For more information on setting up a legal support for a big mass action see ‘Setting up a legal team’ on the US based website Midnight Special.

For further legal information and workshops contact the Legal Activist Project directly.

[thanks to matthew bradley and wri via cc]