The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre help self-identifying women aged 16 and over affected by violence and abuse by providing free legal information and advice through our helpline, legal surgeries and ongoing casework.
What you tell us and our advice to you is confidential. However, we might need to consider informing the police or other authorities if you tell us something where we think you are in danger, a child is in danger or if we think a crime is going to be committed. The advice provided by the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre Helpline is either provided by, or with supervision from, a qualified solicitor.
We run a helpline every Tuesday from 6pm-9pm, Wednesday from 1.30pm-4.30pm and Friday from 10am-1pm available to any woman in Scotland looking for legal information or advice. The helpline is run by our solicitor and advocacy worker, staff from JustRight Scotland supported by Rape Crisis Scotland and students from the University of Strathclyde Law Clinic.
On request, we can arrange language interpreters.
In both Glasgow and Lanarkshire, we offer a surgery where appointments can be booked with our solicitor for legal information and advice. A trained support worker will be on hand if you wish to speak with her about the impact of your experience, how you are coping or how to access further support. Both centres are safe, women only spaces.
The Glasgow surgery runs forthnightly and the Lanarkshire surgery runs monthly.
Sometimes we are also able to provide free legal representation in cases where there is unmet or complex legal need, for example where a woman cannot afford a solicitor but is not eligible for legal aid. We would always have to consider the circumstances of the particular case, and our capacity.
If you are looking for representation read our take on process and apply through the form here.
The Scottish Women’s Rights Centre can also provide legal information and advice to professionals who support or advocate for women victim-survivors of gender based violence through our helpline.
