About Al-Adli

People-powered law, not charity.
We build community defence to try do our part in reducing harm.
We do it through casework, education and community work.

Prefer to hear from us first?
Subscribe to the bi-monthly briefing. Members get early guide drops.

What we do

Casework
Housing, employment, immigration, family, criminal, court support.
We write clear letters, build timelines, and do warm handovers.
Our pool of McKenzie Friends keeps the room steady.

Education
Workshops, clinics and 14+ free guides and zines in easy to understand language.
High-contrast and translation-ready versions available.

Community work
Court-support rota, the Language Exchange, an emergency hotline,
and practical mutual aid (food, clothing, urgent bills).

We are not a law firm. We provide legal education, templates, and practical support (e.g., drafting timelines and letters with you). Where a matter needs regulated legal advice, we refer to regulated advisers or solicitors.

Immigration: any immigration advice work is done by caseworkers who are registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) (formerly the OISC).

Housing & employment: support is delivered by caseworkers with relevant prior casework experience (often from organisations such as Citizens Advice), and we signpost/hand over where specialist regulated advice is needed.

We only take on work within our capacity and competence.

Our ethics

• Care over punishment.
  
  

• Community over surveillance.
  
  

• Material solutions over carceral myths.
  
  

• Maqāṣid as measure: life, mind, dignity, family, livelihood. If a plan does not reduce harm without cages or cameras, we cut it.
  
  

• Faith as craft, not theatre: shūrā for decisions, hurma and karāma to protect privacy and dignity, no tajassus, no corrosive zann.
  
  

What we stand for

• Abolition, not reform: end prisons, policing and punitive family courts; grow justice that heals.
  
  

• Care and consent: people’s safety first; no identifying details without permission.
  
  

• Human rights with teeth: use legal strategy where it shields people; policy ≠ law, and law ≠ justice.
  
  

• Community defence: we stand with people, not institutions.
  
  

Where your support goes

• Case management software, secure notes, printing and postage.
  
  

• Graphic design and translation for guides and workshops.
  
  

• Phones and the Urgent Support Line.
  
  

• Travel funds for court and key appointments.
  
  

• Language Exchange room hire, materials and access costs.
  
  

• Mutual aid: food, clothing, small urgent payments.
  
  

Giving types
All non-zakat gifts are treated as sadaqah jāriyah for our three strands.
Zakat is ring-fenced on Open Collective and paid to eligible people only - food, clothing, essential travel, urgent debts. We pay people directly or a named creditor. Records are light: category, date, amount. No case details.

What you made possible (recent)

• ~25 journeys funded to court, GP and key appointments.

• Clothing for 25+ people seeking asylum.

• Fresh meals for refugees and neighbours with status.

• Urgent Support Line rollout in progress.

• We publish a short, anonymised update every two months for members to view.

Ways to support

If you’d like to help this work continue:

• Join at £9 - Court Buddy
  Funds one court-support shift. Travel and calm notes. (Most people start here.)
  
  

• Guide Builder £15
  Makes knowledge travel. New guides and translations. (Often chosen.)
  
  

• Give Zakat (ring-fenced)
  Direct aid to eligible people only: food, clothing, essential travel, urgent debts.
  
  

• One-off support
  Print Pack £5 • Hotline Minutes £10 • Court Travel £12 • Warm Clothing £20 • Meal Fund £30
  
  

Change or cancel monthly gifts anytime. Records stay light and private.

All non-zakat gifts are sadaqah jāriyah for our three strands. Zakat is ring-fenced and paid to eligible people only.