The Hackney Migrant Centre and many across the UK are mourning the death of Wendy Pettifer, one of the centre’s founding members and a strong voice for migrant rights. She passed away at the age of 72 after battling a long illness.
Wendy Pettifer dedicated her life to helping those in need. Before becoming a lawyer, she worked as a community support officer at South Manchester Law Centre. She then became a solicitor in the 1990s and later moved to private legal practice with Wilsons Solicitors in Tottenham.
Her journey with the Hackney Migrant Centre (HMC) began in 2008. While working at the College of Law, she helped set up a legal support system for HMC visitors. She and a colleague started offering free immigration and housing advice. This marked the beginning of a strong tradition of free legal help for migrants in North London.
Rayah, the founding chair of HMC, said Wendy’s passing leaves “a big hole.” According to Rayah, Wendy was not just a lawyer — she was a tireless activist with a deep passion for justice. She helped build the values and high standards that the Hackney Migrant Centre still holds today.
In 2009, Wendy joined Hackney Community Law Centre (HCLC) as a housing solicitor and worked there until she retired in 2016. Her legal work focused on helping people with homelessness, poor housing conditions, and the rights of migrant women and children. One of her most impactful cases, Harrow v Fahia, even reached the House of Lords and helped expand the legal meaning of “settled accommodation.”
Cllr Ian Rathbone, chair of HCLC, remembered Wendy as a brilliant trainer and mentor. He shared how she continued to support the centre even after retirement, often sharing advice, writing thoughtful articles, and even performing her poetry.
“She never really stopped working,” said Rathbone. “She once asked me if anything had really changed since the film Cathy Come Home. Sadly, we know the answer. Wendy was one of those rare people who made the law centre movement what it is today.”
Beyond her UK work, Wendy was also active internationally. She was on the Executive Committee of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, joined the Greek Solidarity Campaign, and worked with the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (REMDH) in Tunisia between 2009 and 2011.
In 2016, she spent several months in Calais, volunteering her legal knowledge and fluency in French to help child migrants reunite with their families in the UK. Her passion for justice truly had no borders.
Sean Canning, director of HCLC, described her as a “fierce social justice warrior” who believed in using both law and politics to protect the vulnerable. He praised her for always standing with refugees and those facing hardship.
Outside the legal world, Wendy was also known for her poetry. After retiring, she published two books — Love Lines and The Witching Hour. She donated the money raised from her poetry to HMC and often visited to read her work aloud.
To honour her memory, Wendy’s family has invited friends and colleagues to a celebration of her life on Wednesday, 30 July, starting at 9:30 am. Anyone planning to attend is encouraged to complete the RSVP form provided by the family.
Wendy Pettifer will be remembered not only as a gifted lawyer but also as a kind and generous soul who used her talents to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for all, especially migrants and those without a voice.