soniabirdee

Barrister @gcnchambers. Social housing and discrimination lawyer with commitment to legal aid. Opinions are my own.

[Garden Court North @gcnchambers]

GCN's @MiraHammad10 is part of the Counsel team representing Al-Haq and @GLAN_LAW's case against the UK govt's continued sale of F-35 fighter jet components to Israel.

@oxfamgb, @AmnestyUK and @hrw all support the case as interveners. More below.

https://t.co/QUMYI9VF6U

[Garden Court North @gcnchambers]

Module 7 public hearings of the @covidinquiryuk began today, investigating the NHS 'Test, Trace & Isolate' programmes.

GCN's Pete Weatherby, @ChristianKamali , @_katestone, @MiraHammad10 & @HamishMcCallum are instructed by @NicolaBrook4.

More below.

https://t.co/nXGh4d4Un5

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

@_lisahaythorne @LawCentres Congratulations!

[Garden Court North @gcnchambers]

📢 JOB OPPORTUNITY 📢
Join GCN as our Communications Manager!

We offer:
🙆 meet interesting people
👂 hear fascinating stories
🎨 be creative

Apply at: https://t.co/KeJoNMLzej

[Garden Court North @gcnchambers]

Garden Court North is thrilled to announce that @tdroyston has been shortlisted for the Public Law Junior of the Year award at the 2024 Legal 500 Awards.

You can read Tom's reaction at:

https://t.co/7k91ZNElVI

[Nick Bano @NickBano]

Legal aid lawyers' pay hasn't been increased since the John Major government. A real-terms pay cut for nearly 30 years running.

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

Is this where the still current idea that black women don't feel pain comes from? Medical professionals are still denying pain relief on this basis especially in a maternity setting.

[AFRICAN & BLACK HISTORY @AfricanArchives]

J. Marion Sims “the father of modern gynecology” purchased Black women slaves and used them as guinea pigs for his untested surgical experiments.

He repeatedly performed genital surgery on Black women WITHOUT ANESTHESIA because according to him, "Black women don't feel pain.”

J. Marion Sims is called the "Father of Gynecology" due to his experiments on enslaved women in Alabama, who were often submitted as GUINEA PIGS by their plantation owners who could not use them for sexual pleasure.

Anarcha, one of those women, was an African-American slave woman who was forced to regularly undergo surgical experiments while positioned on Sims' table, squatting on all fours and FULLY AWAKE without the comfort of ANY anesthesia.

It's been calculated that Anarcha was operated on roughly 34 times between 1845 - 1849. These operations helped Dr. Sims hone his techniques and create his gynecological tools.

It would be more than appropriate
to credit Anarcha, along with other nameless slave women, as the "MOTHERS OF GYNECOLOGY"

🖊️As the only admin behind this page, I try to research to educate. If you appreciate this effort, you can support to help the page thrive on https://t.co/vf5SMSPu4z. Your support is deeply appreciated! Or just follow the page for articles.

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

Somewhat undermines the assertion that civilians are collateral damage. Just heartbreaking.

[Saul Staniforth @SaulStaniforth]

"It was lunchtime. We were sitting down. They raided our house. They shot our mum and dad. Then they started shooting at us"

Part of a detailed Sky News report on how Israeli soldiers murdered a mother and father in front of their 3 children (1/2)

[Christian Weaver @ChristianKamali]

🚨 Awaab's Law consultation ends soon.

I've made an animated video covering all details. Can you lend a hand by sharing this thread of videos & links?

Critical for social housing tenants to know about the consultation and engage with it if they can.
(1/3🧵)

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

Proud to be a member of GCN

[Garden Court North @gcnchambers]

We are delighted to announce that GCN has been shortlisted for the Chambers of the Year award at this year's @LexisNexisUK Legal Awards.

You can view the other remarkable finalists at: https://t.co/OS7KLMiXor

[HASL @HousingActionSL]

Lambeth council🤝slum landlords

We won't allow this to continue! We can't wait for Dareen to be hospitalised for a 6th time.

Over 60 HASL members are occupying @lambeth_council's offices to demand immediate action @mia_kaye @TimWindle

https://t.co/TSYJOFGSL2

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

This is the system we're dealing with. This is what happens when you destroy legal aid provision. Practitioners are leaving in droves. The remaining are overwhelmed. Tenants are turned away to rep themselves. More and more people are made homeless. https://t.co/nen4Ejnnn8

[Garden Court North @gcnchambers]

Throughout 2023 @MiraHammad10 has been working on the #CovidInquiry, however her most notable case this year is perhaps that of her client who was deemed "reasonable" in calling Iain Duncan Smith "Tory scum" at the 2021 Conservative Party Conference.
https://t.co/EIOiWAlIE3

[Vicky Spratt @Victoria_Spratt]

Letting agents and landlords are not allowed to discriminate against potential tenants on the basis of race - but - as exclusive data shared with me by @Shelter shows - they do! Black people are more likely to be denied a home than white people https://t.co/aqjiIO1dpO

[Greater Manchester Law Centre @gmlawcentre]

We're pleased that #LocalHousingAllowance is being raised to cover 30% of rents.
But if the #BenefitCap isn't increased as well, anyone who is benefit capped won't get any more income - their landlord will just be entitled to more of a share of what they get. 👇

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

Firstly, you are not a spokesperson for the 'British' and secondly, street homelessness is not a lifestyle. Instead of criticising people who are sleeping rough, how about criticising your party who have the power to tackle homelessness but neither the will nor the skill.

[Suella Braverman @SuellaBraverman]

The British people are compassionate. We will always support those who are genuinely homeless. But we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice. 1/4

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

This has to stop.

[Zarah Sultana MP @zarahsultana]

This is absolutely heartbreaking.

How many more parents have to see their children killed by Israeli bombardment before our political leaders call for a ceasefire?

[Tom Royston @tdroyston]

The Government has been refused permission to appeal by the Supreme Court in Bui. So the Court of Appeal decision [2023] EWCA Civ 566 stands: the Department for Work and Pensions has an unlawful approach to refusing advance payments of universal credit, and must change that.

[soniabirdee @soniabirdee]

Targeting civilians and bombing hospitals, places of worship and other places of refuge is not justified.

[Garden Court North @gcnchambers]

GCN is the ONLY Chambers and Partners Band 1 Set at the Northern/North Eastern Bar for Social Housing.

And we are currently inviting applications for tenancy from experienced Housing barristers who share our ethos.

Find out more about joining our team https://t.co/tNT3tzYNZm