The case for investment in #AccessToJustice is stronger than ever. We've got the evidence that legal assistance changes lives, a cross-party roadmap for restoring #LegalAid, and the people to deliver. More in our latest newsletter: 🔗 mailchi.mp/cfe6caa449d3...

Here’s our blueprint for a cheaper, more effective, more humane asylum system. LCN has written to the Prime Minister with 200+ orgs, urging the government to ditch cruel gimmicks in the Immigration and Asylum Bill.

Blueprint to fix the broken asylum system: 200+ refugee groups offer new PM a new way - Asylum Matters

Refugee charities tell new PM Andy Burnham how to build a fairer, more effective, more humane and more affordable asylum system

asylummatters.org

For people facing homelessness, being able to access support in person can make all the difference. Across London, councils have been closing face-to-face homelessness services, creating barriers for people who are digitally excluded or have complex support needs. (1/2)

When Peter Kandler started up North Kensington Law Centre in a former butcher's shop, the meat hooks were still hanging on the walls. The Law Centre sprang up in 1970 out of community need: to defend local people against unlawful evictions, poor housing conditions and racist policing. (1/2)

The Justice Committee's new report reinforces what Law Centres have long been saying: too many people are unable to get the legal assistance they need, with serious consequences for individuals, communities and public services. (1/2)

GMLC's contributions are included in this new government report into Black people’s experiences of homelessness. The report highlights the disparity in both numbers of Black people facing homelessness, and in outcomes through the homeless system. committees.parliament.uk/publications...

Congratulations to @lawcentreni.org on securing justice after years of determined legal action. The Law Centre has won compensation for three mothers who were denied bereavement benefits after the deaths of their partners because they were not married. (1/3)

Bereaved NI families win compensation after benefits discrimination battle

Law Centre NI has welcomed settlements that bring an end to a decade-long struggle for justice for bereaved families whose human rights were breached when they were denied bereavement benefits…

irishlegal.com

‘A government serious about prevention and justice should see Law Centres as core social infrastructure.’ The demand for Law Centres continues to grow, but they cannot keep doing more with less. The evidence is there. Investing in Law Centres is an investment in stronger communities. 👇

Law centres: The Rescuers

Following the abolition of legal aid for most civil cases, law centres had to change their operating models to survive. Catherine Baksi reports on the challenges centres face - and their resilience - ...

lawgazette.co.uk

No one should lose access to the care and support they depend on because they have become homeless. @southwarklawcentre.bsky.social has secured an important High Court victory for disabled people placed in temporary accommodation. Full story. 👇 www.lawcentres.org.uk/news/high-co...

‘The night was emotional...these are our people. Fighting for justice.’ We're delighted to celebrate two Law Centre winners at this year's Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards! 📷 credit: Frederique Bellec Photography (1/5)

When organisations share data, they can build a stronger case for investment in justice. @ce-lawcentre.bsky.social and @coventrycc.bsky.social have shown how data can demonstrate the wider impact of legal assistance. (1/2)

In depth: Law centre data partnership shows benefits of legal assistance

A council and law centre went 'one step beyond' in sharing data, providing hard evidence that legal assistance works and should be properly funded. Doing nothing is costly.

lawgazette.co.uk

Justice isn't achieved through litigation alone. It also depends on strong partnerships and community-rooted support. Over three years, with funding from the Baring Foundation, Law Centres across the UK have built strategic legal partnerships with local organisations.(1/3)

At the Law Centres Annual Conference in Leicester today, @policyinpractice.bsky.social have unveiled groundbreaking new research: hard causal evidence that specialist legal advice changes lives—and the numbers speak for themselves. (1/3) 🧵

Justice is a health intervention: sometimes, NHS patients need legal assistance as part of their treatment. ⚖️🩺 Law Centre health justice partnerships across the country are seeing great outcomes for both patients and public services.

Health justice partnerships “effective at problem solving”

Four out of 10 clients who obtained legal advice at their GPs’ surgeries reported that their issues were resolved within three months, according to new research.

legalfutures.co.uk

‘A giant of the legal aid world.’ ❤️ We’ll be forever grateful to Pip Salvador-Jones for her personal contribution to the Law Centres movement and lifelong dedication to access to justice. Her brilliant legacy and everything that she built lives on.

Pip Salvador-Jones obituary

Other lives: Legal expert who worked at three London law centres before becoming director of Barking and Dagenham Citizens Advice

theguardian.com

Early legal advice works. 7 in 10 people who received government-backed early legal advice resolved their problems sooner and avoided going to court. Fewer problems escalate into more complex and costly interventions—with individuals, public services and the taxpayer all benefitting.

Government-backed early legal advice "helps clients avoid court"

A government-funded early legal advice grant programme has enabled 70% of clients to resolve their problems at an early stage and avoid unnecessary court hearings.

legalfutures.co.uk

This isn’t about NIMBY v YIMBY. It’s about appropriate development. @southwarklawcentre.bsky.social has achieved a significant planning victory after a lengthy public inquiry. (1/2)

The UK care sector is a hotbed for worker exploitation. A new report from @pilc-campaigns.bsky.social investigates the financialisation of care homes. 👇

REPORT LAUNCH | Careless Profiteering •

An investigation into the financialisation of care homes    Today, the Public Interest Law Centre, Corporate Watch, and Good Jobs First, Violation Tracker UK, launched Careless Profiteering, a report…

pilc.org.uk

Beyond this week of action, people across the UK will keep showing up for their neighbours and their communities. Law Centres will be there, too, fighting your corner when you’ve got nowhere else to turn. We’re proud to be part of a #MillionActsOfHope.

We joined a #MillionActsOfHope because we believe something simple: legal support is an act of hope. When someone walks into a Law Centre feeling powerless and leaves with their rights protected—that's hope, made real. This week, we're celebrating it. 💛

Hope looks different depending on who you are. For a family facing eviction, it's a solicitor who picks up the phone. For someone whose benefits have been stopped, it's an adviser who understands the system. For a worker who's been treated unfairly, it's knowing they don't have to face it alone.

The Renters’ Rights Act is a significant moment for private renters but whether it becomes a genuinely transformative one will depend on what happens next. Without #LegalAid, too many renters will be locked out of justice. More in our newsletter. 👉 us5.campaign-archive.com?u=0460307137...

A housing solicitor at Greater Manchester Law Centre was served a Section 21 notice on 30 April - the last day landlords could legally issue one - minutes after advising a client facing the same situation. This is the story of Oliver Edwards and his clients.🧵 #RentersRightsAct #Section21 #LegalAid

He found studying law ‘boring.’ He joined a 150-year-old firm full of rich clients—'why they took me on, I have no idea.’ And then he changed British legal history forever. Peter Kandler is one of a kind. He was recently awarded Honorary KC. Read his profile in the Law Society Gazette. 👇

My legal life: Peter Kandler, co-founder of North Kensington Law Centre

The UK's first law centre.

lawgazette.co.uk

From St Helens to Southwark, Law Centre caseworkers are seeing a surge in Section 21 evictions ahead of the 1 May ban. Here's what they're telling us. 🧵 #RentersRightsAct #Section21 #AccessToJustice #LawCentres #HousingCrisis #RentersRightsAwarenessWeek

The Renters’ Rights Act is nearly upon us. On 1st May, the law is finally changing. 🪧 What do private renters need to be aware of? ⚖️ What is needed now to make new rights count? 💪 How can you get involved? Hear from Law Centre housing experts in our latest newsletter: 🔗 mailchi.mp/4cc39933c4a2...

Neurodivergent people can face barriers at work because employers don’t make reasonable adjustments. Learn how Suffolk Law Centre is helping employers build more inclusive workplaces, and supporting neurodivergent people to thrive.

adJust Info Hub - Case Studies - Suffolk Law Centre

Nina overcame workplace barriers with help from Suffolk Law Centre, gaining cashier training, promotion, and inspiring an inclusive workplace.

suffolklawcentre.org.uk

Congratulations to @lawcentreni.org's Owen McCloskey, who has been appointed to the UK’s Social Security Advisory Committee. Owen brings extensive experience of test case litigation across tribunals and the higher courts. His practical insights will help to inform better policymaking.

Owen McCloskey to advise on social security legislation

Law Centre NI's head of social security, Owen McCloskey, has been appointed to the UK government's Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC). Mr McCloskey, a practising solicitor specialising in…

irishlegal.com

'The court won’t take into account the fairness of it.' @ce-lawcentre.bsky.social's Hugh Wilkinson discussed the rise in no-fault evictions he is seeing ahead of Renters’ Rights Act changes. (1/2)

Landlords evicting tenants before law to prevent practice comes into force in England

No-fault evictions made up one in three reports made to renters’ union Acorn in January

theguardian.com

New careers resource for neurodivergent people. 👇 Suffolk Law Centre has launched the adJust Hub. Check out resources on: 💼 How to apply for a job 🪧 When and how to disclose your neurodivergence or disability ❓ How to ask for reasonable adjustments

adJust Info Hub – Home - Suffolk Law Centre

The SLC Digital Hub is your comprehensive, strengths-based resource dedicated to the long-term career success of neurodivergent people.

suffolklawcentre.org.uk