No one should lose access to justice because they can't afford a lawyer.

But in Britain’s civil courts, that’s exactly what happens—especially to disabled people, carers, and neurodivergent families. I know, because it happened to me.

Why I’m Campaigning
In 2018, a psychiatrist made serious errors in my autistic son’s records. Despite repeated requests, those errors were never corrected. I eventually brought a claim to the civil court, representing myself.

That’s when everything broke down.

The judge told me to send all my evidence to the Defendant to file on my behalf. They had me remove key pieces of evidence. What was submitted wasn’t properly read or considered.

During the hearing, I was interrupted when trying to explain the data breaches that affected me directly. I cited specific laws (GDPR Articles 5–7), but the judge later claimed I hadn’t explained the harm at all. It simply wasn’t true—but I had no way to challenge it.

I was ordered to pay £37,000 in costs.

Now, years later, the Defendant has agreed to correct the records. The cost order has been dropped. My barrister has confirmed in writing that those records should have been fixed years ago—and that litigation could have been avoided entirely.

So why did the court let this happen?

 
What Needs to Change
We are calling on the Ministry of Justice and the Civil Procedure Rules Committee to:

✅ Ensure Litigants in Person can submit their own evidence bundles
✅ Require judges to actively consider oral evidence when no bundle is filed
✅ Make reasonable adjustments for disabled and neurodivergent claimants
✅ End the quiet procedural practices that systematically favour represented parties - So much of the injustice is simply not acknowledged.

We are not asking for special treatment—just a fair hearing.

 
Why This Matters
Thousands of people represent themselves in court each year. Many are carers, disabled people, or trauma survivors. They’re navigating a legal system designed for professionals—one that often shuts them out completely.

This isn’t just my story. I’ve heard from dozens of people with similar experiences: silenced, disbelieved, and buried by costs. This is a structural problem—and it needs structural change.

I have already written a book about this experience and the wider failures of our civil justice system, to ensure that these patterns are not hidden anymore.

 
✊ Join Us
If you believe that justice should be accessible to everyone—not just the wealthy or legally trained—please sign and share this petition.

📣 Let the Ministry of Justice know that fairness in court should be a right, not a privilege.

🖊️ SIGN NOW to demand basic protections for Litigants in Person.

If you’d like updates on the campaign and my upcoming book, you can follow me on www.facebook.com/KatherineUher