The Justice Project – Empowering Survivors
Fife Law Centre (FLC), based in Lochgelly, is the only firm in Fife providing free legal guidance and representation for vulnerable and economically disadvantaged people, filling a critical gap in unmet legal needs.
With strong partnerships across Fife Council, Citizens Advice and Rights Fife, and Fife Women’s Aid, FLC receives most of its referrals from organisations working with those facing housing, employment, disability, children’s rights, criminal injury, sexual assault, and domestic abuse issues.
In response to a rise in demand, particularly from women experiencing domestic abuse, FLC launched its Justice project to provide survivors of violence, abuse, and trauma with free access to legal support, ranging from advice on drafting letters to full representation in court. In 2020 they received a three year grant from The Volant Charitable Trust to employ three members of staff (two solicitors and one administrative assistant), as well as to meet associated overhead and training costs to deliver the project.
In the final year of the award, FLC supported 85 individuals in domestic abuse and criminal injury compensation cases, an increase of 17% on the previous year. Across the three year funding period FLC secured £301,779 in compensation for survivors, with every penny going directly to those affected. By engaging Counsel, expert witnesses, and through its relationship with the Faculty of Advocates’ pro bono unit, FLC ensured clients had access to specialist expertise that would otherwise have been out of reach for them financially.
Beyond legal outcomes, the project has had significant personal and community impact. Survivors have been empowered to seek justice, move away from abusive relationships, and begin to rebuild their lives. In turn, this challenges the wider social attitudes where they excuse or normalise abusive behaviour.
Despite being a small team of five, including three part-time solicitors, FLC’s client-centred, outcome-focused approach prioritises understanding individual needs and building trust. The result is a high-quality service that not only achieves justice but also restores confidence, dignity, and hope for some of Fife’s most vulnerable women.
One particular and notable case resulted in a Client being awarded a substantial amount in compensation after FLC became involved in the process on their behalf.
The Client approached FLC for legal advice after initially applying for compensation without the assistance of a solicitor (the outcome was a relatively small financial award from Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) – based on physical injuries only).
The Client was disappointed with the outcome but was unsure how to navigate the review process, and so approached FLC. FLC’s solicitor guided and supported the Client through the appeal process right up to the representation stage. This involved reviewing the initial process, gathering additional evidence including social work reports and specialist psychiatric reports, to enable them to submit a claim based on mental injuries and loss of earnings, in addition to physical injuries. Consequently, due to FLC involvement, CICA presented the Client with a substantially increased award.
Read more about the Volant Charitable Trust grants programme