The Livia Award for Professionalism and Service to Justice

The Livia Award for Professionalism and Service to Justice was instituted by the Galli-Atkinson family in 1999 in remembrance of their sixteen year old daughter, Livia, who was killed, aged 16, in Enfield, Middlesex, by a driver who mounted the pavement where she was walking.  Convicted of death by dangerous driving, the driver was fined. 

This kick-started Livia's parents' campaigns to raise awareness to instil an ethos of driver responsibility and accountability, to call for improved roads policing, road collision investigation and victims' family liaison service; for improved road safety education and tougher legislation.  

Using savings Livia had left and monies from policies, the family set up an umbrella not-for-profit, not politically-affiliated Livia Memorial Fund for six community initiatives in schools Livia attended, to encourage excellence, confidence and promote road safety; for local environmental improvement, and by association, heighten road dangers - through the redevelopment in Enfield of a 100sqm derelict site now called the Livia Memorial Garden, set alongside the pavement on which Livia was killed. Sponsors: Total Removals since 2000; Waitrose 2019; Vita et Pax School 2022. 

The Livia Award for Professionalism and Service to Justice is the largest and sixth object of the Fund which seeks membership of the EU Road Safety Charter.   

The award is made annually to the Metropolitan Police Officer judged by an independent panel to have provided the most meritorious service to road death investigation, either in a specific case, or sustained through several investigations or who has provided the family of a road crash victim with outstanding service in the year to 30th June. Nominations for the award are judged by the independent panel of eight from varied professional backgrounds and experience.  Presentation of the award and associated commendations takes place at a ceremony in Westminster, London, on or around the anniversary of Livia's birth.  Among the guests invited to the ceremony are awardees and their families and those who can influence change: members of parliament from both Houses and other Government Departments,Transport for London, Borough Councils, legal professions, roads police from other national constabularies, road safety experts and campaigners, emergency services, businesses with an interest in road safety, students, teachers and campaigning bereaved families. 

Criteria titles are: Service to Justice, Professionalism and Service to Families of Victims 

It has its own sponsorship from Irwin Mitchell Solicitors and the Forensic Collision Investigation Reconstruction Ltd; from ProofCam 2017/2018.

It is endorsed by the UK Prime Minister, the Met Police Commissioner, Members of Parliament from both Houses, Transport for London, Roads and Transport Policing Command, most especially those on the front line of road collision investigation and policing, in and outside London, including the Fire Brigade and Ambulance Services.   

Having steadily formed a high profile reputation, the award has, over 26 years, facilitated important road safety discussion and development, and networking with national roads police, road safety organisations, road safety councils, educationalists and emergency services practitioners, schools, members of the UK parliament, government departments and committees (Justice, Transport and Home Office). 

The Livia Award for Professionalism and Service to Justice was the first of its kind, is still unique, judging by the annual feedback, and is a force for good;  a constructive tool that complements wide-ranging road safety initiatives whose precise scope is to transform driving into responsibility rather than privilege, to make roads safer to decrease serious collision casualties who, for too long, have been erroneously and tragically considered to be the acceptable collateral damage of fast-moving economies, rather than the avoidable, serious crimes that they are. 

In 2024, George and Giulietta received the honour of a British Empire Medal for road safety work which is not the point of what they do but is, nevertheless, a precious endorsement and suitable memorial for Livia, for which they are thankful.  

The scope for beneficial change in road safety is vast and evolves with evolving technology and engineering but, as importantly, evolves by pushing the culture of a duty of care.

The Livia Award for Professionalism and Service to Justice has fitted in all this, constructively, in the UK.  It would be an accomplishment and honour for all those associated with it, were its application for membership into the EU Road Safety Charter to be accepted.