We are delighted and very proud that Catherine Bond was announced as winner of Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2023 in the Criminal Defence category at the LALY awards night on 12 July.
Catherine won the award for her work as a prison lawyer.
Her nomination was supported by several testimonials from a broad range of professionals and clients. She was praised for her skill as an advocate, and for her passion and dedication to her clients' cases.
Testimonials from Catherine's clients spoke of the hope she had given them in the most desperate of times, when they had been facing indefinite detention with seemingly little prospect of release.
In her acceptance speech, Catherine spoke about the importance of giving her clients hope of a future out of prison and her continued determination to fight for her clients' freedom. She also called on the next government to abolish the IPP sentence for good, in line with the Justice Select Committee recommendations.
Catherine is the second member of SL5 to win this prestigious award; Andrew Sperling won the award in 2021 in the Social Welfare category.
Links to press coverage of Catherine's award: