The Times Online (and offline) law section today reports that the Legal Aid Practitioners’ Group gave an award to Jeffrey Gordon (69), who was a legal aid solicitor for over 50 years and is one of only 30 men who have completed all 30 London Marathons. He created the idea of the Mackenzie friend / Mackenzie person, someone who helps a party to a court case if that party has no lawyer.
They are slow off the mark, as it appears that the story first appeared in the Law Gazette, the periodical of the Law Society, the professional organization of solicitors in England and Wales, on April 22nd, in the following terms:
The awards, organised by the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, also recognised Jeffrey Gordon, a consultant at London firm Attridge, with the judges’ special award. Cherie Booth QC chaired the judging panel.
Mr Gordon has been a legal aid lawyer for more than 50 years, whose achievements include ‘inventing’ the Mackenzie Friend (now known as a litigation friend), and helping to set up the court duty solicitor scheme. Now 69, he still attends police stations at night and at weekends as a duty solicitor.