07 January 2008
CFS/ME NICE Guidelines Judicial
review.
After
many weeks of negotiation, it gives The One Click Group enormous pleasure today
to announce that the UK Legal Services Commission (Legal Aid) has written to
our lawyers, Saunders Solicitors LLP with a without prejudice offer for the
funding of The One Click Judicial Review of the CFS/ME NICE
Guidelines.
Instead of us having to find the 20,000 pounds that was our
original target set for the legal fees, we will now need to find only 10,250
pounds with the Legal Services Commission (LSC) proposing to fund the
remainder.
With this tremendous good news formally received, we are now
in the position to ask you all to honour your pledges from around the world with
our new target of 10,250 pounds, much reduced thanks to the Legal Services
Commission (LSC). All pledgers will shortly be receiving emails announcing our
extraordinary good fortune from One Click Group Director Jane
Bryant.
Background - The One Click NICE Judicial Review
On 12
October 2007 One Click launched its Legal Appeal to take the National Institute
of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to the High Court to challenge the
appalling CFS/ME Guidelines by Judicial Review.
The response to the
appeal for the funding of this legal action was overwhelming and heart lifting.
From all round the world, in a matter of months - the case was announced on 7
September 2007 and the appeal was launched on 12 October 2007 - a multitudinous
number of you pledged support for the aimed total of 20,000 pounds to pay for
the legal fees.
Most naturally when such an historic legal event is
occurring, the psychiatric lobby and some of its most surprising associates
simultaneously attempted to destabilise our legal action almost immediately upon
commencement.
Behind the scenes a number of people were working hard to
upset the One Click Legal Appeal. Our concern became great that if this
destabilisation was effective, One Click could find itself up against a deadline
to begin the Judicial Review of the CFS/ME NICE Guidelines with insufficient
funding. So and on the advice of Saunders, One Click decided to try to go down
the difficult route of applying for Legal Aid to fight a publicly funded case
against NICE on behalf of you all in the name of young ME/CFS Borreliosis
sufferer, Ben Bryant, The One Click Group Technical Director.
The LSC
most kindly responded to our plea and a few weeks ago, provided us with interim
funding to formally appoint and work with our barrister, Kate Marcus from
Doughty Street Chambers and to select and obtain the expert witnesses we need to
prosecute this case.
This funding of our legal costs by the LSC enabled
One Click to lodge formal application with the High Court for Judicial Review of
the CFS/ME NICE Guidelines on 21 November 2007. See Press Release Health
Advocacy Pressure Group Launches NICE High Court Action Today.
Today
Is A Great Day
The LSC has now written to Saunders and stated without
prejudice to other funding issues such as merits and duplication of proceedings,
asked One Click to contribute 10,250 pounds of the costs of this trial for which
they propose to fund the remainder.
One Click Group Director Jane Bryant
said: 'Today is a great day. I would like to sincerely thank the Legal Services
Commission for their great kindness on our behalf. I would also like to thank
Saunders and Counsel Kate Marcus from Doughty Street Chambers for their
excellent work.
It is humbling to see so many good people on our side and
attempting to do such good for ME/CFS labelled patients. Above all, I would like
thank YOU - all of you from around the world - who are making this NICE
Judicial Review possible.'
Below is the information that you will need as
to how to honour your pledge to challenge the appalling CFS/ME NICE Guidelines
in the High Court. We are making legal history with this campaign of which you
are the most important intrinsic part.
The angels have clearly been
watching over us with this case. We would like to wish all the readers and
contributors to One Click a VERY Happy New Year 2008.