With the Tory Government's attack on Legal Aid, community access to justice was reignited by the founding of the Greater Manchester Law Centre in Moss Side, which opened its doors in 2016. Since then, over £500,000 worth of benefits have been reclaimed from the DWP for Greater Manchester residents, while many others have received free advice on a number of issues.
On Friday February 2nd, there's a public meeting to found another law centre, in Bolton, with speakers including Bolton South East MP, Yasmin Qureshi and Denise McDowell of the Greater Manchester Law Centre.*
"More and more families and individuals are finding themselves in positions where access to the law is being denied them, at precisely the time when they are most in need of it" says Maxine Peake, who is supporting the Bolton appeal.
"Universal Credit, the denial of employment rights through zero hours contracts and minimum wage infringements and a hardening of the Government's stance against refugees and asylum seekers all make the Law centre Bolton urgent and necessary" she explains "I welcome and support the initiative whole heartedly."
While the Centre would be based in Bolton it would be open and accessible to Salford people and anyone in Greater Manchester.
"We are not just a campaign for access to advice, or even access to the law, we are a campaign for justice" states the GM Law Centre "We call for full and equal legal advice and representation for the claimants, as the state awards (out of our taxation) to the police and other departments of the state. We want independent walk-in face-to-face advice for everyone in need in all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester."
Bolton Needs A Law Centre
Friday 2nd February 7pm-8pm
Bolton Central Library
Le Mans Crescent BL1 1SE
If anyone can't make the meeting but wants to donate towards the centre the account details are Lloyds Bank Sort Code: 309192 Account Number: 55658268
Further details on the Bolton Needs A Law Centre Facebook event page – click here
* Update: 2pm - MaxinePeake was due to speak at this event but has had to cancel due to other commitments
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
