Public interest law UK resources
This page brings together resources of interest to community agency networks (CANs) and community groups concerning public interest law.
Six climate change activists sentences reduced by appeal court, BBC News (Mar 07, 2025) - Hundreds protest in London as jailed climate activists’ appeals are heard, theguardian.com (Jan 30, 2025)
- Rosebank oilfield go-ahead decision ruled unlawful by Edinburgh court, theguardian.com (Jan 30, 2025)
Organisations working with communities
The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) is a UK registered charity, dedicated to environmental law and disseminating information on the subject.
- Environmental Law Foundation
- Lawyers for Nature, "...focus on creating systemic change by embedding Rights of Nature into legal and organisational frameworks across the UK and globally." added 16:59, 24 February 2025 (UTC)
Other organisations and resources
- Good Law Project, added 17:52, 3 October 2020 (UTC), not-for-profit campaign organisation that uses the law to protect the interests of the public. Founded by Jolyon Maugham, the Good Law Project states that its mission is to achieve change through the law. "We defend, define and change the law to uphold democracy, protect the environment and ensure no one is left behind." The organisation's issues include: No-one left behind, Upholding democracy and Protecting the environment. text added 18:46, 5 November 2021 (UTC)
- EarthRights Solicitors, Resources page on web.archive.org, 28 2 2015
About Public interest law
Public interest law refers to legal practices undertaken to help poor, marginalized, or under-represented people, or to effect change in social policies in the public interest, on 'not for profit' terms (pro bono publico), often in the fields of civil rights, civil liberties, religious liberty, human rights, women's rights, consumer rights, environmental protection, and so on.
In a celebrated 1905 speech, Louis Brandeis decried the legal profession, complaining that "able lawyers have to a large extent allowed themselves to become adjuncts of great corporations and have neglected their obligation to use their powers for the protection of the people."
In the tradition thus exemplified, a common ethic for public-interest lawyers in a growing number of countries remains "fighting for the little guy".
See also
local information can be found, or shared, via our many UK location pages