The law reform associated with Brexit is extensive and unprecedented. It will dominate law reform and policy in the UK in the coming period and will mean that the organisations and programmes supported by the Foundation will stand on shifting sands as the legal and policy environment changes in response to Brexit. In recognition of this, the Foundation has investigated what its role might be in this context and has decided to include a Brexit theme in its work.

Foundation staff conducted research and scoping work, including over 100 interviews and field visits, as well as participating in senior meetings and roundtables of academics and key stakeholders. This helped us understand the complex consequences of Brexit for law in the UK, and to identify our goals in this area. These are:

Our current policy focus is on enabling civil society organisations to understand and engage in the policy process surrounding Brexit, so that the needs, rights and interests of their beneficiaries are reflected in the legal framework that emerges post-Brexit.

We help organisations to build and contribute their technical legal expertise to parliamentarians, government officials and relevant organisations outside government who are involved in the Brexit process. We only support work that is nonpartisan and Brexit neutral. We encourage applications that clearly demonstrate how their work will build technical legal expertise, coordination or collaboration among civil society organisations, and/or key stakeholders affected by Brexit.

The Foundation is not currently accepting applications focused on EU migrants in the UK. This is because the Foundation is supporting a pooled fund that is being run by New Philanthropy Capital that will help individuals in the UK to manage the implications of the UK leaving the EU.

The Foundation continues to explore possible legal education needs for other legal consequences of Brexit as the Brexit process evolves.