“I believe that we must leave this world better than how we found it, and being a lawyer allows me to give a voice to people who may not otherwise be heard.
I’m very proud of my Irish heritage, so when I was contacted by a family who were having legal difficulties getting ‘In our hearts forever’ written on their mother’s gravestone in Irish, it felt very personal to me so I offered to act for them on a free of charge basis.
To mark their mother Margaret Keane’s life, her daughters Bez and Caroline, applied for ‘In ár gcroíthe go deo’ to be written on her gravestone. The application was referred to the Consistory Court of the Diocese of Coventry, because the Parish Council and Advisory Committee could not sign off the size and dimensions of a cross which was going to protrude from the memorial.
But the judge at the court then ruled that Irish wasn’t allowed without the translation sitting alongside it, as it could be deemed to be a ‘political statement’ as there were “passions and feelings associated with the use of Irish Gaelic”. Other gravestones in the same churchyard feature languages other than English, without translation.
We are now appealing the judgement and the case will be heard by the high court, Arches Court of Canterbury by the most senior ecclesiastical court and supported by barristers Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC and Mary-Rachel McCabe of Doughty St Chambers – who are also acting on a free of charge basis.
Being a good litigator is not just about representing your client in the court room, it is also about problem solving and assisting them throughout the case. I’ve built a very good rapport with Margaret’s daughters, and whilst their case is ongoing, I assisted them with planning a Lights Will Guide You Home commemoration at the church, which took place in July 2020.
I’ve been learning to speak Irish for quite some time, for my own culture and identity and this helps me with my work for the Birmingham Irish Association, where I’ve enjoyed running free legal advice clinics since 2017.
Helping people gain access to justice is something I’m passionate about, so I was especially proud to be recognised by the Birmingham Law Society for my pro bono work. I’ve also recently being appointed to the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the West Midlands Irish Business Group, both of which allows me to make even more of a difference to my community, which is something I always strive to do.”
Caroline Brogan is an Associate Solicitor specialising in medical negligence claims, based in our Sheffield office.
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