Legal Services Agency

The total debt owed by individuals to local authorities that charged for temporary homeless accommodation in Scotland is in excess of £33 million, new figures have revealed amid suggestions that the practice could be unlawful.

Ben Christman, Rebecca Morton and Shaun McPhee from the Legal Services Agency outline what they believe to be the main issues regarding the poor enforcement of the law of unlawful evictions in Scotland and make recommendations to the Scottish Government. The law of damages for unlawful eviction

A former tenant of a property in Gourock, Inverclyde, has been awarded £1,500 by the First-tier Tribunal Housing and Property Chamber after it found she had been unlawfully evicted by her landlord, who claimed that his sister intended to live in the property.

A recent study conducted on behalf of the Legal Services Agency seeks to examine the valuation of compensation awards in the two years following the introduction of the Letting Agent Code of Practice. LSA volunteers and Glasgow School of Law graduates Alice Dalkin, Caitlin Perring&nbs

The Legal Services Agency (LSA) is hosting virtual meetings to allow lawyers in the social justice sector to connect during lockdown. The next one is at 4pm this Thursday and will include short presentations from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Shelter Scotland.

The current moratorium on evictions in Scotland must be extended beyond the current timeframe and include those who are actively trying to ensure their rent arrears are dealt with, according to a number of charities.

Paul Brown and Ben Christman from the Legal Services Agency (LSA) discuss the impact of the current public health emergency on human rights.

Legal Services Agency trainee solicitor Shaun McPhee discusses the effect of COVID-19 on housing law. The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 is now law. It brings major changes to housing law and practice, which will impact a large number of tenants for the foreseeable future. The emergency provisions

Rona Macleod, a solicitor and associate at the Legal Services Agency (LSA), considers the case against Serco’s lock-change evictions post-Ali.  For around eighteen months Legal Services Agency have been challenging lock change evictions in Glasgow Sheriff Court. We raised one of the first

Aaliya Seyal has been appointed chief executive of the Legal Services Agency (LSA). Ms Seyal takes from interim chief executive Ronald Franks and brings over 17 years’ experience in leading voluntary sector organisations.

A collaboration of lawyers who took on a multi-billion-pound national services company to defend the rights to a home for more than 300 highly vulnerable asylum seekers has won the Judges Award at The Herald’s 2019 Law Awards of Scotland.

A coalition of charities has urged Serco to bring an end to its lock-change evictions of asylum seekers, days before the private housing provider is expected to enter the first premises in Glasgow, until the legality of the action is clarified in law.

Glasgow Sheriff Court has granted court orders preventing Serco from evicting five asylum seekers by lock change until the next hearing.

A protest held against Secro's lock change programme in Glasgow Housing provider Serco has said it will “pause” issuing lock-change orders to tenants refused asylum in the UK ahead of a court challenge following pressure from campaigners, charities and housing associations.

Homelessness, housing and anti-poverty groups have called for “real and urgent” action to better tackle and prevent the “human tragedy” of homelessness in Scotland In an open letter to cabinet secretary for communities, social security and equalities, Angela Constance, twelve of Scotland lea