Law Centres Network

Charities warn Labour’s PIP review must ‘earn the trust’ of disabled people Exclusive: A group of over 50 charities and disabled person’s organisations warn that the review is ‘causing concern’

Meaningful co-production is essential to rebuilding trust in social security.

We’ve joined @turn2us.org.uk and 50+ orgs in setting out constructive suggestions for the Timms Review.

Only this way will the government get the future of PIP right.

A circa 1970s photograph of Peter Kandler and colleagues stood outside the shopfront of North Kensington Law Centre.

Founder of the UK Law Centres movement, Peter Kandler, was recently awarded Honorary KC.

Peter sat down with us to reflect on the origins of the movement and the public value of Law Centres.

‼️ Read our interview with Peter: Looking Back and Looking Forward.
🔗 www.lawcentres.org.uk/news/looking...

It’s a critical week for #AccessToJustice. The Mazur hearing begins in the Court of Appeal this afternoon.

Learn what's at stake and why LCN is intervening. 👇

Access to justice services are public services. We understand the problem - now we need action This week, I gave oral evidence on behalf of the Law Centres Network to the Justice Committee, as part of its inquiry into access to justice. What came through clearly across both sessions that aftern...

There is an extensive amount of evidence that has been gathered in recent years that shows the scale of unmet legal need and its human cost. What we need now is action.

Nimrod has set out the case for a national access to justice strategy:

(2/2)

🎥 LCN’s Head of Policy and Profile, Dr Nimrod Ben-Cnaan, giving evidence to the Justice Committee’s Access to Justice Inquiry last week. (1/2)

🚨 We’re hiring!

Mat-leave cover role in our groundbreaking Gentrification Project 🏙️

Looking for a community organiser with legal experience (housing justice 💛) or a lawyer keen to build skills in community-led litigation ⚖️

Apply now: www.pilc.org.uk/about/jobs/

Controversial Druids Heath regeneration plan decision quashed Approval for the multimillion-pound Druids Heath scheme has now been reversed, the council says.

Victory at the High Court. ⚖️

A regeneration scheme in Birmingham is on pause after residents challenged a lack of transparency in decision-making.

Residents now have the opportunity for meaningful engagement in future planning decisions.

Congratulations to residents and @ce-lawcentre.bsky.social.

A quote from Julie Bishop, Director of the Law Centres Network, which reads: ‘Without clarity, there is a real risk that people facing eviction, loss of income or discrimination will find it harder to access legal help.’ Text below which reads: ‘LCN intervenes in Mazur appeal’

The Mazur judgement has worrying implications for #AccessToJustice.

We’re pleased that our perspective will be heard in the Court of Appeal later this month.

📰 Full story: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/law-cen...

Harrow Law Centre wins £35,000 illegal eviction case after mother locked out of home - Harrow Online A mother of three has been awarded more than £35,000 in compensation after a judge ruled she had been illegally evicted from her home while she was on

A mum and her three kids were made homeless by their landlord in one of the cruellest ways.

They were locked out of their home while away on holiday.

Thanks to Harrow Law Centre, the landlord was held to account. 💪

The Messenger February 2026 The Messenger February 2026

GMLC is proud to be the Manchester Law Society's President's Charity for 2026. Read more in the Manchester Messenger here: legalrss.co.uk/themessenger...

Residents in legal fight to halt demolition of Clockwork Orange estate Climate concerns raised over redevelopment of 1960s Brutalist estate in south-east London

🌍 Is the environmental impact of an estate demolition being properly considered? Residents demand transparency.

⚖️ @pilc-campaigns.bsky.social is supporting their legal challenge.

Unlocking the Power of Data: How Law Centres are Putting Data to Work for Justice Updates on LCN's Unlocking the Power of Data Project

In the first year of our #data project, we have taken great strides towards establishing a Common Data Framework across Law Centres.

LCN’s Head of IT and Data, Alex Charles, takes us through the journey so far:

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Half a century later, Law Centres all across the UK provide essential public infrastructure: shielding people from homelessness, job loss and family crisis.

Here's to that remarkable legacy! (3/3)

In 1970, when access to legal advice was largely determined by income, Peter pioneered a new model of community-based lawyering that placed expert legal help directly within neighbourhoods facing poverty and discrimination. (2/3)

A photograph of Peter Kandler addressing an audience. He is stood holding a microphone as members of the audience look on.

We are delighted to share that founder of the UK Law Centres movement, Peter Kandler, has been awarded King’s Counsel Honoris Causa.

The award recognises Peter’s major contribution to the legal profession, which brought the law into people’s everyday lives. (1/3)

Birmingham Council faces Druids Heath regeneration setback amid legal challenge Residents in the Birmingham estate of Druids Heath previously threatened a legal challenge amid ongoing concerns over the regeneration plans

Regeneration should work with communities, not around them.

When key details about affordable housing were missing from a regeneration project in Birmingham, residents became concerned.

A legal challenge from @ce-lawcentre.bsky.social pushed the local council to reaffirm its commitments.

❌ Today, even people living below the poverty line don't qualify for legal aid

Injustice robs children of a good start in life. A new campaign from The Law Society calls for change. 👇

(2/2)

A photograph of a mother hugging her child.

Family #LegalAid urgently needs a boost.

Some worrying facts:

⚠️ The number of people representing themselves in the family courts tripled between 2013 and 2023

✂️ Legal aid fees have not increased since 1996, and in 2011 were cut by 10% (1/2)

The bottom line: #AccessToJustice is a national moral mission. It requires a resilient, sustainably-funded network of legal advice that reaches the most vulnerable. (12/12)

Law Centres are not just service providers; we are the strategic partner the government needs to prevent #LegalAid deserts from becoming permanent features of the UK landscape. (11/12)

3️⃣ End Legal Aid Deserts: when the PAC suggests the MoJ should be renamed the ‘Ministry of Justice (for Certain People),’ it’s a wake-up call. (10/12)

Relying on remote-only advice is not innovation; for many, it’s a barrier. Embedded in communities, Law Centres remain the essential face-to-face ‘infrastructure of dignity.’ (9/12)

2️⃣ The Digital Divide is a Justice Divide: the PAC report highlights that 24% of the UK population—predominantly disabled people and people in poverty—are ‘digitally excluded.’ (8/12)

1️⃣ The ‘Strategy-Resource’ Gap: the government’s new 10-year VAWG strategy aims to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We welcome this ambition, but how will it succeed if survivors cannot access the legal advice needed to secure protection? (7/12)

Here is our 3-point briefing on why 2026 must be the year the government moves from shortfall to sustainability (6/12):

Whether it is securing safe homes for families, protecting workers' rights, or ensuring survivors of domestic abuse have legal protection, our support restores dignity and proves that a fairer, more equal UK is possible when justice is accessible to all. (5/12)

As a national movement for change, we provide the vital early intervention that prevents a legal issue from spiralling into a life-shattering catastrophe. (4/12)

Every day, our colleagues across the country witness the devastating human consequences when people are denied their rights—from a family facing the trauma of an illegal eviction to people with disabilities struggling against a broken #benefits system. (3/12)

As the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns of an 'extinction event' for legal advice, and The Law Society highlights the critical funding gap in the government’s new VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) strategy, Law Centres are standing on the front line of this crisis. (2/12)

A title that reads ‘from shortfall to sustainability’ Text below that reads: •Bridge the ‘strategy-resource’ gap •The digital divide is a justice divide •End legal aid deserts

Is the ‘right to justice’ becoming an ‘extinction event’?

The headlines from the past week paint a stark picture for the UK’s #justice system. 🧵(1/12)