When people think of lawyers and court cases, they often think only in terms of personal injury claims and family law issues. In addition, when the term human rights is used it is often thought that this only applies to countries which are not democratic or where the Governments are oppressive towards its citizens.
However, in recent years, the term “social justice” has become as prominent as “human rights” and refers to the concept of fairness within a society – fairness in wealth, opportunities, basic needs, gender, race, and the environment. Within a society social justice law is increasingly important as one of its major traits is that people of every race can live well and have equal opportunities.
It is important to remember that social justice law applies to discrimination in employment, housing, education, medical care, and other equal opportunity services.
Social justice law is practiced by lawyers who have a passion for human rights and equality. A social justice lawyer, who might also be referred to a human rights lawyer, advocates for clients who have faced discrimination based on the following:
- Age
- Color
- Creed (religious belief)
- Criminal background or arrest record
- Disability
- Domestic violence victim status
- Gender
- Marital Status
- National Origin
- Partnership status
- Race
- Sexual Orientation.
If you require assistance on any aspect of your legal rights and entitlements or have suffered discrimination, please contact Jennifer O’Sullivan of Burns Nowlan LLP for immediate assistance and advice at 045 432382.