For over 20 years, the Central London Law Centre has provided legal advice, assistance and representation to low paid and vulnerable people living or working in the central London area. It has been of particular importance in supporting it’s nearby Chinese community. Its closure will also have a fundamental affect on the Chinese Monitoring Group, Min Quan, set up to deal with police and racial harassment.

The Association of London Government (ALG) recently proposed a 100% cut of its funding to the Central London Law Centre. It recommended 'no grant' for the forthcoming financial year. If the Grant Committee approves the decision, it would mean the end of the Law Centre.

The Law Centre gives specialist advice in the areas of employment, immigration and housing law, with no direct charge to the client. It advised over 8400 Londoners last year from 31 of the 33 London boroughs. Historically, it has been significant in accepting test cases in areas where disadvantaged groups need protection.

In particular, the Law Centre has worked closely with homelessness charities in central London to provide advice to this particularly vulnerable group. It has been actively involved in the campaign for the licensing of houses in multiple occupation so that rogue landlords such as Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, recently been imprisoned for 10 years for manslaughter, are not able to run badly managed and unfit properties.

Central London, a place in which over 38,000 people work every day, will be left with no free legal help or advice. For those clients who work in central London, often working long hours with very little time off the Law Centre represents a specialist resource close to their place of work.

This is especially prominent in the Chinese community, where the Law Centre assisted in many catering related incidents. It also assisted family and friends of the Dover 58 victims, and supporting them in interviews with the authorities and police.

Another victim of its potential closure will be Min Quan, an organisation that was set up 2 years ago to deal with racial harassment including actions against the police within the Chinese community. Min Quan is based at the Law Centre.

Clients of the Law Centre constitute 85% of black and minority ethnic groups. The effect of closing the Law Centre would be to significantly down value the services to these groups. Its closure will also affect the advice that members of the Law Centre gives to generalist advice agencies, community groups and organisations.

If you would like to help prevent the closure of the Law Centre, Dimsum would like to appeal to you to sign the support letter (word document) and send to the Central London Law Centre at 19 Whitcomb Street, London WC2.