MCP Connector Documentation
Connect Search the Law to Claude, or any MCP-compatible AI assistant
Quick Start
Claude Desktop Configuration
Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file (claude_desktop_config.json):
That is all you need. Claude handles authentication automatically via OAuth when you first use the connector.
Authentication Flow
Search the Law uses OAuth 2.1 with PKCE for secure, passwordless authentication. No API keys are required.
-
Claude initiates connection
When you first use a Search the Law tool, Claude sends an OAuth authorisation request to the MCP server. -
User redirected to searchthe.law
A browser window opens at the Search the Law login page. -
Sign in with email (magic link)
Enter your email address and click the sign-in link sent to your inbox. No password required. -
Approve permissions
Review the permissions requested by the MCP connector and click Approve on the consent screen. -
Token issued, connection established
An OAuth token is securely issued. Claude can now call Search the Law tools on your behalf.
Usage Tiers
| Tier | Searches / Day | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 5 searches / day | Free |
| Professional | Unlimited | £39.99 / month |
| Chambers | Unlimited + team seats | £99.99 / month |
Available Tools
The connector exposes 49 tools across six categories. All tools are read-only and cannot modify any data.
Core Search & Research
- smart_search AI-powered legal search across 17 UK databases
- search_case_law Search court judgments by keywords
- get_judgment / get_case Retrieve full judgment text by URI or citation
- search_legislation Search UK legislation by title or keywords
- get_legislation_section Get a specific section of an Act or SI
- research_legal_issue Deep research on a legal topic with structured output
- resolve_citation Look up a case by its neutral citation
Citation Network
- get_citations Get all cases citing a given case
- check_treatment Check how a case has been treated (applied, distinguished, overruled, etc.)
- extract_citations Extract neutral citations from a block of text
Court & Tribunal Databases
- search_tribunals Search Upper Tribunal (IAC) decisions
- search_employment_tribunals Search Employment Tribunal and EAT decisions
- search_tax_tribunal Search Tax Chamber (FTT and UT) decisions
- search_admin_appeals Search Administrative Appeals Chamber decisions
- search_ico_decisions Search ICO data protection and FOI decisions
- court_hierarchy Get the UK court hierarchy and precedent rules
- list_courts List all courts and tribunals in the database
Parliamentary & Government
- search_hansard Search parliamentary debates in Hansard
- search_govuk_guidance Search official government guidance on GOV.UK
- search_hmrc_manuals Search HMRC tax guidance manuals
- search_cps_guidance Search CPS prosecution guidance
Irish Legal (Bonus)
- search_irish_case_law Search Irish court judgments
- search_irish_legislation Search Irish legislation
- search_oireachtas_debates Search Oireachtas parliamentary debates
Account
- usage_status Check your remaining daily search credits
- database_stats Get database coverage statistics (judgments, citations, courts)
Usage Examples
Example 1: Natural Language Legal Search
The smart_search tool returns:
- AI-generated legal context explaining protected disclosures under Part IVA of the Employment Rights Act 1996
- 10+ ranked court judgments, including Kuzel v Roche Products [2008] EWCA Civ 380 and Royal Mail v Jhuti [2019] UKSC 55
- Relevant legislation (Employment Rights Act 1996)
- Government guidance from GOV.UK
- Landmark cases with significance summaries explaining why each authority matters
Example 2: Citation Lookup
The resolve_citation tool finds the case, and get_case returns the full judgment text for Royal Mail Group Ltd v Jhuti, including parties, judges, date, and the complete judgment.
Example 3: Citation Treatment Analysis
The check_treatment tool queries the citation network (190,000+ verified citation pairs) and shows how the case has been treated across all citing judgments — applied, considered, distinguished, doubted, or overruled — with colour-coded confidence indicators.
Privacy & Security
Support
Need help connecting or have questions about the MCP connector?