Crowd Justice
Frequently Asked Questions
We are currently raising money to cover the legal costs of preparing for a second Judical Review.
How has the money been spent so far?
The first CJ fund raised £42k
On winning first JR the claimant was awarded costs of £35k
Some of this was paid retrospectively to the lawyers who worked on a ‘no win-reduced fee’ basis.
The balance was used to:
a) pay Counsel for attending and speaking at the Strategic Planning Committee meeting of 29th June2021
b) initiate the 2nd JR process - draw up grounds, send pre-application letter to council, review the defence, apply to court, and review grounds following Judge’s order.
If we loose, the claimants costs are limited by the Aarhus Convention to £5k
As of mid April ‘22, we have raised a further £10k
We need an estimated £8k more to cover the costs of court.
The estimates are made using the guidelines sent by the lawyers and in conversation with the lawyers.
We can never be absolutely sure of the amount needed since it is calculated on an hourly basis.
We hope, and our estimate predicts, that the amount raised will cover costs should we loose. It is not possible to be 100% certain.
Where does my donation go?
Funds are transferred weekly, direct to the campaign solicitors, Harrison Grant. The funds pay for the time of the solicitor, QC, Court fees and any expenses incurred (e.g. photocopying). The funds will also be used to cover any of the other side’s costs we may be obliged to pay (which we have been advised, will very likely be capped at £5,000).
What is a stretch target and why does it keep moving?
Crowd Justice requires campaigns to set an initial target that reflects the funding requirements of the first stages of the legal procedure. Once this initial target is met, these first pledges are paid to the solicitors. If we are advised we have a case and decide to move forward, from then on ‘stretch targets’ are set to meet each next step of the legal costs. Sometimes legal cases, once initiated, are settled out of court, this system prevents us from raising funds we wouldn’t need if that were to happen.
Why does the countdown keep changing?
The Crowd Justice countdown resets to 30 days by default. We will ask for it to be adjusted if funds are needed by a particular date as per the legal process.
What fees do Crowd Justice charge?
Crowd Justice deduct approximately 6.3% from donations, this comprises a 3% administration fee plus card transaction fees. This is not an extra charge on your card, it just means slightly less of what you donate goes to fund our case. This is comparable to other fundraising sites.
How has the money been spent so far?
The first CJ fund raised £42k
On winning first JR the claimant was awarded costs of £35k
Some of this was paid retrospectively to the lawyers who worked on a ‘no win-reduced fee’ basis.
The balance was used to:
a) pay Counsel for attending and speaking at the Strategic Planning Committee meeting of 29th June2021
b) initiate the 2nd JR process - draw up grounds, send pre-application letter to council, review the defence, apply to court, and review grounds following Judge’s order.
If we loose, the claimants costs are limited by the Aarhus Convention to £5k
As of mid April ‘22, we have raised a further £9k
We need an estimated £9k more to cover the costs of court.
The estimates are made using the guidelines sent by the lawyers and in conversation with the lawyers.
We can never be absolutely sure of the amount needed since it is calculated on an hourly basis.
We hope, and our estimate predicts, that the amount raised will cover costs should we loose, but because of the above we cannot be 100% certain.
Why are Crowd Justice asking me for a 10% contribution to support access to justice?
This is a Crowd Justice initiative, it is entirely voluntary and is separate from our campaign. When you enter your card details, you’re asked if you would like to make an additional donation. This donation goes towards help funding access to justice for other causes. You can click on edit to change the additional donation to as much as you want, or zero.
Do the organisers have access to our personal details?
The Crowd Justice platform is the recommended platform for raising funds in legal cases brought by a community. It is a secure and transparent site and takes care of all compliance issues. Non of the funds raised pass through our hands and we don’t have access to your card details, your email addresses or any other details.
Who oversees the fund?
A volunteer from our group completes a fund reconciliation monthly. This is agreed with the solicitor and overseen by five residents.
What happens to excess funds?
Crowd Justice have a set policy for leftover funds, which are detailed in their terms and conditions. Refunds will depend on the total amount of donations that you have made.