You will find below a number of articles and press releases about the firm. Also included are links to mention of the firm in local and National Press. To go to our selection of national new stories click here

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24th January 2002

Woman's Hour Debate - Radio 4 - To go to the site and listen to the debate click herePeter Garsden appeared on Woman's Hour to debate the subject of alleged false allegations of abuse in Children's Homes with Claire Curtis-Thomas M.P.

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6th January 2002 "Abuser" was netted in Police Trawl, but was he innocent? The Sunday Observer

As concern grows over probes into care home abuse,David Rose reports on Brian Ely, 67, jailed for attacks alleged to have happened 30 years ago. Abney Garsden McDonald are referred to in the article. 

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4th December 2001 Lawyer Slams Police in Homes Sex Abuse Enquiry (as published by the Manchester Evening News)

A LAWYER today accused police investigating sex abuse in Greater Manchester boys' homes of obstructing his fight to win compensation for victims.

Solicitor Peter Garsden, who represents more than 700 alleged victims of physical and sexual abuse across the north west, claimed senior figures at the centre of the three-year probe were causing him "considerable grief'.

But Greater Manchester Police, which has now tracked down more than 330 alleged victims and believes there may be even more, insisted it could not be seen to be working too closely with compensation-seeking lawyers.

Mr Garsden said: "I just think they are being obstructive.It's a constant battle to get any information out of them and it annoys me.We are both on the same side. I don't want to impede the prosecution but I need to know certain information.I work effectively in that way with other police forces without a problem.Their attitude definitely makes claims more difficult.

"I'm talking about very basic details, like who's going to be prosecuted and which homes are involved and how many complaints they have got.They won't tell me anything.I find out through the back door through the likes of the Manchester Evening News."

Stockport-based Mr. Garsden has already helped win an estimated £440,000 in payouts for scores of alleged victims, who were said to be abused as far back as the 1970s and 1980's. Greater Manchester Police launched Operation, Cleopatra three years ago into allegations of sexual abuse against boys in homes across the country stretching back 40 years.No settlements have yet been reached in the Manchester area.

The senior officer on Operation Cleopatra, D Supt Andy Tattersall, said: "Throughout t course of Operation Cleopatra GMP have dealt with over 330 alleged victims and we believe there still may be a number who have not yet contacted police.

"It is imperative that we protect the integrity of any criminal investigation, without allowing, it to be compromised by the perceived purse of financial gain.We have worked with a number of legal representatives on behalf of the victims and have always shared the appropriate information."

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28th August 2001

Abuse Victims Told of Deadline (Liverpool Daily Post)

VICTIMS of physical or sexual abuse at a school for children with special needs in Wirral are being urged to come forward to join a group litigation action.

A group of 10 claimants has already issued legal proceedings relating to claims for severe physical and sexual abuse from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s at West Kirby Residential School in Meols Drive.

Co-ordinating solicitor Paul Durkin said the action was being brought against the managers of the home for negligence, including failure to respond to complaints and bad working practices

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24th March 2001

The Child Abuse Department employ the former head of "Operation Care", John Robbins who retired from the Police Force after 37 years service. He was in charge of the largest children's home child abuse investigation in the country on Merseyside. It was making enquiries into  80 homes throughout the metropolitan borough. John will be assisting the department with research and investigation enquiries. See Team page

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17th February 2001

Wonderlands Legacy (Butterworths Web Site Article)

The law is far behind the technical realities of Internet-aided abuse against child victims such as those abused by men in the 'Wonderland Club'. The sentences also appear to reflect this. Could ISPs be held criminally accountable for paedophile activity on the web? Peter Garsden of ACAL, John Harding, criminal law partner at Kingsley Napley and Mark Haslam, criminal law partner at Burton Copeland, talk to Helen Brown about the complicated issues involved ...

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5th February 2001 (Law Society Gazette)

Court Service publishes first group litigation order 

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The Court Service has published the first-ever group litigation orders, with a child abuse case led by Cheshire law firm Abney Garsden McDonald receiving the reference 'GLO1'.

Although two orders were apparently made slightly earlier - one involving alleged negligent psychiatric treatment in Yorkshire led by Irwin Mitchell and the well-known Cape asbestos case led by Leigh Day & Co - the Abney case is the first to be logged by the Court Service.

A fourth group litigation order, relating to the Alder Hey hospital scandal, has also been published.

The Civil Procedure Rules were amended last March to allow for group litigation orders, replacing the ad hoc system of multi-party actions. They allow wider publication of the existence of orders, generic costs orders for the lead firm to undertake preparatory work for all cases, and courts greater management powers.

Child abuse specialist Peter Garsden is leading the case on behalf of 18 firms for 50 former residents of Redbank School in St Helens, who allege sexual and physical abuse between the 1960s and 1980s.

He said the new system meant 'there is much less chance of solicitors going their merry way alone [on a case] and costs escalating... Inevitably it will save costs'.

• Solicitors with clients claiming post-traumatic stress disorder at learning of the retention of organs and/or tissue following post-mortems of their children should contact Hill Dickinson in Liverpool.


Neil Rose

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24th January 2001

Price of Justice

After 14 years of systematic sexual and physical abuse, and a further six years fighting for compensation, Zak Savio thought his ordeal was finally over. One of the most traumatised victims of Britain's worst child sex abuse scandal, he hoped to use compensation money to rebuild his life and go to college. There is a quote from Peter Garsden in this article

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28^th November 2000

Child Abuse makes a mockery of justice - this is an article that appeared in the Times today. It is less biased and more balanced than the Panorama program or the Observer on Sunday article. It calls for less emotion when representing the survivors of abuse .

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26^th November 2000

Abuse Witch Hunt traps innocent in a net of lies (Sunday Observer) - This article is about a Panorama program about the alleged injustice to abusers who maintain their innocence after conviction. It features Peter Garsden.

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23rd November 2000

Expanding Firm Buys New Premises

An article appeared in the local Stockport Times and Express which describes the progress of the firm since its inception in 1985 to the present date. It is reproduced for you to read. The journalist kindly donated his photographs to us. You can see them on the tour of the new offices page

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20th November 2000

The Cheadle office moves to newer and bigger premises at 37, Station Road, Cheadle Hulme SK8 5AW. Unfortunately we could not take the telephone numbers with us, because we were changing exchanges. Our new numbers  are 0161 428 8822 and FAX 0870 990 9350. Free Offer - for any new business between now and the end of January 2001 we will give a free short initial consultation  to any new or existing client. 

We would like to thank Martin our builder and his team, for all the hard work he put into the refurbishment which now looks very nice, smart and businesslike. When we move over the weekend it was an amazing change when we went from one office to the other. We now have twice the space, and we  are not so cramped. Hopefully flu will not  spread as fast as it did! Why don't  you drop in and see us if you are in the  area. Find directions on the "About us" page

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14th November 2000

A long wait for victims of abuse

The law stands in the way of successful compensation claims against institutions, says Roger Dobson.

More than 2,000 people have now begun proceedings for compensation for the abuse they suffered while in care in England and Wales. Most of them are young men, many have been pursuing claims for longer than five years and almost all of them involve allegations of sexual or physical abuse in care more than ten years ago.

This article features an interview in the Times of Peter Garsden the press officer of ACAL

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6th August 2000

We know there's abuse. But how much?

In the middle of the panic last week that resulted from the News of the World 's 'name and shame' campaign, two court cases involving allegations of extreme violence and sexual abuse were pushed to the inside pages of the local newspapers.

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25^th April 2000

Peter Garsden is the guest of the day on the Nicky Campbell show on Radio 5. He normally interviews stars like the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The interview was arranged on the back of the article in the Independent. See the 28th March 2000

28^th March 2000

'Abuse stories nearly finished me'

This week the trial of the victims of the abuse in children's homes in North Wales begins. Solicitor Peter Garsden (Senior Partner) tells Jon Robins that the trauma will be so great that lawyers need to know what they are letting themselves in for

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18th May 1999

UK Nuns face Abuse Claim

Fourteen people who claim they were abused at a children's home run by nuns are to seek compensation at the High Court. Peter Garsden, the solicitor representing the 14, is expected to press for compensation in excess of £50,000 at Manchester High Court on Tuesday. The claim comes after Andrew Christian, a voluntary worker at St Gabriel's Convent in Liverpool, was jailed for 11 years last February for indecently assaulting 13 boys.

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10th March 1999

Sorry State

Some recognition of the damage they have suffered could mean more to victims of abuse than any financial compensation. But not only are insurance companies trying to stop cases getting to court, they are making it virtually impossible for charities and councils even to apologise. Christian Wolmar reports

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25th June 1998

UK Motorists win Drink/Drive Claim

Nearly 60 motorists have been awarded compensation totaling more than £400,000 after being wrongly convicted of drink-driving due to faulty equipment. Their convictions were quashed by the High Court after a 10-year legal battle because Greater Manchester Police unknowingly used swabs containing alcohol while taking blood samples from suspected drink-drivers over more than 18 months.

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