The housing crisis means more and more of us are living in rented accommodation. For some of the most vulnerable members of our community this means dealing with difficult landlords and living with the permanent fear of eviction and homelessness. On this page you can find out about our housing advice services and how we are campaigning for secure and safe accommodation for all.
This article is written by Jennifer Devans-Tamakloe, an aspiring barrister called to the Middle Temple and qualified mediator, currently working as a self-employed advocate on the northern circuit in general civil litigation matters. As a volunteer for GMLC, Jennifer aims to draw attention to GMLC’s causes and assist readers with gaining knowledge and understanding. Below,…
One of the Greater Manchester Law Centre’s core principles is that everyone has a right to a secure home. We work with other community groups to campaign for tenants’ rights and to end homelessness. In September, our housing solicitor Kathleen Cosgrove provided legal advice to members of the renters union ACORN, who were having difficulties in…
We are pleased to be the focus of a feature article by Nick Nicholas Prescott in The Meteor, Manchester’s Independent Media, on the topic of Legal Aid and the wider context of austerity. With their permission we are publishing the full article here: How austerity is killing legal aid and restricting access to justice We often see…
We are delighted to announce two wonderful new additions to the Greater Manchester Law Centre team! Kathleen Cosgrove joins us as head of our new housing and homelessness advice services. Before becoming a solicitor, Kathy worked in hostels and homelessness advice agencies in London. She qualified as a solicitor in 2008 and has always specialised in housing and…
Sign the petition today: click here “The right to decent housing is a basic human right. Far from guaranteeing such a right, UK law seems designed to obviate it. The absence of rent controls, the unfettered use of property for the purpose of financial speculation by investors, the removal of the powers and the…
A report published last week by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Enforcing Human Rights, highlighted “grave concerns for access to justice, the rule of law, and enforcement of human rights in the UK” caused by cuts,[1] making enforcement of human rights “simply unaffordable” for some of the most vulnerable people.[2] The chair of the…
by GMLC Volunteer Joe Payne Law Centres Federation Limited v the Lord Chancellor [2018] EWHC 1588 (Admin) A recent High Court decision was deservingly won by the Law Centres Network (LCN) in a challenge to the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) Legal Aid policy, via Judicial Review. Judicial Review is a legal challenge to the way a…
Press Release Issued 18th April 2018 The Greater Manchester Law Centre, Disabled People Against the Cuts, Acorn Tenants’ Union, Unite Community Union and the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People carried out a day of action in Manchester city centre today, demanding that no one faces eviction as a result of delays to Universal Credit…
Changes are being made to housing possession court duty schemes, which provide on-the-day advice and advocacy at court to people facing eviction. The Law Centres network has been granted permission to challenge the Ministry of Justice over these changes. Read full coverage in the Law Gazette here. Below, GMLC volunteer Robert Povall explains the…
The Greater Manchester Law Centre, Disabled People Against the Cuts and Acorn tenants’ union have jointly issued a campaign demand: no one should face eviction as a result of delays to Universal Credit payments. Universal Credit is a new system that will merge many types of benefits into one single payment. It has faced harsh…