Alison and I would like to extend our apologies on behalf of DLUK for the lack of updates and posts on the Deaf Blawg since September 2005. Unfortunately, life has the habit of getting in the way. Now that DLUK has a new host and the software has been upgraded, we should be able to post more regularly on a myriad of legal issues either concerning or related to the Deaf community.

This site was officially launched yesterday, and I thought I’d give you an update:

a) We have located another deaf lawyer in the UK, who contacted us as a
direct result of the site! Michelle Willetts specialises in Commerical Property at Brabners Chaffe Street. Michelle wants to be involved, and has already been invited on board. We have also had requests from 2 other Deaf people, and we are currently looking at membership.

b) A Deaf person contacted us about forthcoming jury service, and annoyed they couldn’t do it. This is still an unaddressed issue, and maybe something we need to campaign about. Maybe we could think about inviting the Deaf person as a guest blawger, to state how they feel.

c) A legal training provider contacted us, with the view of training.
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This website was launched today, and our Press Release can be found here. We are hoping this will have an impact some way.

That aside, it certainly has had an impact on our sleeping patterns. Bed calls.

P.S. Thanks for visiting, we hope to update this section on a daily basis. And by the way, please make use of the comments features. We need interaction and feedback.

My introduction to law, and all things legal happened 16 years ago, when studying my A levels; and subsequent involvement with legal studies and working environments of all sorts since. However, as a mainstream Deaf person, I did not encounter Deaf issues until around 1993. Since then I have tried to merge law and deafness, which has not been as successful as I have hoped.

I have many thoughts on this, but at the start of this blawg, it is probably appropriate for me to comment on how little Deaf involvement there appears to be within the Deaf legal sphere; as it has shaped the start of this website.

A reoccuring theme in this area is how little Deaf people contribute to this, and take a lead. This has been evident at past conferences and various initiatives within this sector. The people who co-ordinate, present, research, manage invariably are hearing. I make this observation in the widest possible context, of the meaning of legal services. Within other Deaf sectors, for example media, Deaf people are leading or at least they have a noticable presence. Not so with law.

Observations aside, an analysis why this is happening should follow. However, this deserves a post in itself. Suffice to say, it is hoped that this blawg goes someway to redressing the balance.

Welcome to Deaf Blawg. The aim of this blawg is to provide a forum whereby Deaf lawyers, primarily those who reside in the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales), can muse on and discuss issues of a legal nature.

Many of you will have noticed that the www is dominated by Americanised groups of Deaf lawyers, and while we appreciate their feedback and support, we felt it was time that Deaf lawyers in the UK had a place where they should air their views and be confident that they will be considered from a British point of view.

As the numbers of Deaf lawyers in the UK are so small, we are proposing to allow some international Deaf lawyers to post to this blawg. However, this may be reviewed in the future when we have established the policies of Deaf Lawyers UK and determined how these international Deaf lawyers will be allowed to retain their membership. For now, these will be called “associate members”.

If you are Deaf and want to be a lawyer or be otherwise involved in the legal profession, please drop me a bell at rob at exhibitq dot com and I’ll be happy to give you information about joining Deaf Lawyers UK, the egroup and be allowed to post on this blawg.