Alison Ward

Alison specialises in mental health law. She has been dedicated to legal aid work since she qualified as a solicitor in 1998. She spent her first year post qualification as an advocate in the family and criminal courts and was the franchise supervisor, instrumental in securing the legal aid contracts for the firm. She knew her heart lay in the civil liberties field and spent the next 5 years supervising a legal aid team dealing with actions against the police and prison law matters

Achievements

In 2004 Alison achieved accreditation from the Law Society to represent patients before the Tribunal and moved to a then two office firm to develop the mental health law work in the Nottingham area. She enjoyed seeing the department’s work grow and become an established and respected team locally and then nationally. She remained at the now national firm for over 17 years, gaining promotion to Director and was the well-established Head of Department for the mental health team shortlisted as a finalist for Team of the Year at the LALY awards in 2021. In that role she managed a team of 14 mental health lawyers and continued to regularly represent patients subject to the Mental Health Act.

Alison has vast experience in representing patients subject to all sections of the Mental Health Act and is an experienced Advocate before the First Tier Tribunal (mental health), having sustained her Law Society accreditation throughout. She has a particular specialism in representing forensic patients including those detained in high secure care at Rampton hospital. She has been involved in a number of judicial review applications throughout her career. She has also dealt with appeals including to the Upper Tribunal.

Alison aims to represent patients in a sensitive way, providing honest and clear advice. She uses her knowledge of the law and experience of the system to help clients to achieve their goals.

Notable Cases

Alison has had several cases reported during her career as instructing solicitor, all publicly funded, namely;

R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, ex parte Probyn, 1 All ER 357 (1998)

R (Hussain) v Derby Magistrates and Another 2001 EWHC Admin 507

R v Governor of Dartmoor Prison ex parte N (2001) EWHC Admin 93

DC v Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (2012) UKUT 92 (ACC)

In 2019 Alison successfully appealed a decision of the First Tier Tribunal (Mental Health) on an error of law. The original decision was set aside, and she represented the patient at the fresh hearing, achieving a conditional discharge from detention under the Act.

Also in 2019, she secured a deferred discharge against all of the professional evidence for a client, who had been recalled to hospital from a Community Treatment Order (CTO), enabling them to return to reside in the community without a CTO.

In 2021 she secured an immediate discharge from CTO for a client against all of the professional evidence.

Since joining MJC Law, Alison has had several tribunal discharges in cases where the professional witnesses were arguing for the section to remain.

When not working Alison enjoys listening to music, watching live music and sport, walking, reading and spending time with her family.