Whilst the minority of the population of Great Britain sit back, content with the way they have or will be treated, companies and organistations who have dealings in our everyday lives are pushing the majority of people to the ends of their tether. So much so that they feel they are the victims of institutional injustice.

 Most people in their lifetime will not be able to escape a written or verbal attack from an organisation who feel they have the right to threaten your well-being: launching an avalanche of threats and intentions should their requests not be met.

 But are their actions justified and lawful, and is there a defence which can be adopted that we as an individual are unaware of?

FORMAT:

TV Current Events Programme

CONCEPT:

‘Mckenzie Friend’ is a programme that would be dedicated to an everyday person in ‘civvy street’ who has suffered the indignity of an unjustified attack about his person, but had little knowledge of how to defend him or her self because of the might of the attacker, and the complicated and confusing inaccessible law that is supposedly there to protect us.

 Is this Watchdog? – NO

Is this Rough Justice? – NO

Is this Crimewatch? – NO

This programme looks directly at the events of an individual case which ultimately lead to the desperation of an individual, in trying to make people listen and further, prove that he has been wrongly accused by an organisation.

Organisations can include Solicitors, Accountants, Estate Agents, Local Authorities, Utility Suppliers, Insurance Companies and Late Payers, to name but a few.

 A ‘McKenzie Friend’ is defined as a person who is not technically a representative but simply a non-legally qualified person who sits with a party during a hearing or discussion to offer advice and assistance. The term comes from a divorce case, McKenzie v McKenzie, where the husband was representing himself and wished to have the assistance of a non-legally qualified person to support him.
There is a widely recognised presumption that a party is entitled to have the assistance of a non-legally trained person whilst they are at court. If a party does wish to rely on a McKenzie Friend they should notify the judge from the outset of the hearing. A judge will not usually refuse permission unless he believes that allowing the McKenzie Friend would interfere with the administration of justice.

The role of the McKenzie Friend is to assist the party rather than to represent them. This may be of particular relevance at a hearing where it would be usual for a party to have legal representation but for some reason he does not. The McKenzie Friend can help the party conduct his case but cannot conduct it for him. However, it is possible that the line between McKenzie Friend and lay representative could become blurred due to the informality of a small claims hearing. If a party in a small claims hearing is assisted by a McKenzie Friend who has particular knowledge about the case or some aspect of it, the judge might decide that justice can more expediently be carried out by speaking directly to the McKenzie Friend.

The programme would consist of a presenter, ‘subject’ and McKenzie Friend (acting as a researcher and arbiter), who take you through all the negligent events which have led to the ‘subjects’ alleged injustice. Representatives from the organisation concerned are also asked to attend and comment on their actions. The McKenzie Friend will highlight how difficult it is, on your own, trying to fight your own corner with limited resources.

As part of the programmes research, where organisations have been helpful with advice, this should be shared with the public.

The final part of the programme would be called ‘Bite Back’. This is where a reputable professional with full knowledge of the programmes’ subject matter would discuss what action the ‘subject’ can take and with whom, in order to right the wrong.

The professional would also give advice as to what action to take should anyone else be faced with the same dilemna. This can include loopholes in the law, reclaiming charges, unenforceable debts and the Data Protection Act where harassment is involved.

Information packs containing help and information relating to the programmes’ subject should be made available by post or online, following the programme.