An activist law centre has filed a complaint with the Solicitors Regulation Authority accusing lobby group UK Lawyers for Israel of improperly seeking to shut down public expressions of solidarity with Palestine.
Public Interest Law Centre, which 'exists to challenge systemic injustice', has also called for an investigation into whether UKLFI is operating as an unregulated law firm.
The complaint, jointly submitted with Palestine advocacy body the European Legal Support Center, claims that UKLFI and its director Caroline Turner have deployed strategic lawsuits against public participation to muzzle free expression on matters of public interest. It includes eight letters sent by UKLFI between 2022 and 2025 which are alleged to demonstrate ‘a seeming pattern of vexatious and legally baseless correspondence aimed at silencing and intimidating Palestine solidarity efforts’.
The complaint calls on the SRA to suspend Turner in order to prevent further breaches of professional standards and to set a precedent against the use of SLAPPs. It also demands that UKLFI be regulated as a law firm, ‘given its use of UK legal professionals’ reputations to lend credibility to its work, despite being unregulated’.
Founded in 2011, UKLFI ‘aims to mobilise members and supporters to use their skills pro bono to combat the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement and the delegitimisation of Israel’. UKLFI’s letters state that its patrons and members include 'some of the most distinguished members of the UK legal profession', listing regulated solicitors and barristers.
‘We consider that, as an unregulated entity, UKLFI’s reliance on these names creates a false impression of regulatory oversight that is misleading and unethical,’ alleges the complaint. ‘Specifically, we believe that the actions of UKLFI violate SRA Principle 2 (upholding public trust) and Code of Conduct 8.8 (accuracy in publicity).’
PILC’s solicitor Paul Heron said: ‘UKLFI are acting in a manner that chills public participation and intimidates those who stand in solidarity with Palestine. We will not allow legal threats to shut down the public’s right to speak out. The SRA has a duty to step in, to uphold professional standards, and to protect civil society from intimidation dressed up as law.’
A spokesperson for UKLFI said the organisation had not been sent the complaint, but described the allegations reported as ’inaccurate and misinformed’.
UKLFI said it is ‘often called on to address genuine concerns that service providers such as hospitals, shops or colleges are creating an intimidating, hostile and offensive environment for their Jewish patients, staff, customers or students. We point out how they are doing this, the effect that this has had on Jewish students, staff, patients or customers, how it may breach applicable laws or regulatory requirements, and how the problem may be solved.
‘Despite the allegations of the article, UKLFI has not conducted any activity that can be described as a SLAPP. On the contrary, UKLFI seeks to promote respect for the law in matters relating to Israel and the Jewish people by drawing attention to conduct which is or may be illegal and explaining the relevant facts and law.’
One example cited by UKLFI is the widely publicised removal of a display of artwork by Palestinian children at London’s Chelsea and Westminster hospital in 2023. The [complaint] ‘misleadingly implies that there were no complaints about the display… at the hospital’, said UKLFI. ’However, UKLFI received complaints from two of the hospital’s patients and we know of another complaint by a patient to the hospital, which the hospital evidently did not log.’
An SRA spokesperson said: ‘We have had a complaint and are looking into it before deciding on next steps.’
