News & Views

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News & Views

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 19 January 2010

Garden Court Chambers is delighted to announce the publication of “Advising Mentally Disordered Offenders”

Garden Court Chambers is delighted to announce the publication of "Advising Mentally Disordered Offenders, A Practical Guide" (2nd edition). Most criminal practitioners will encounter clients with mental health difficulties and it is important that duty solicitors and criminal lawyers are able to recognise the signs and understand the correct processes and procedures in dealing with […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 18 January 2010

Issue 165 – 18th January 2010

The Latest Housing Law News Costs in Housing Cases: on 14 January 2010 the Final Report of the Civil Litigation Costs Review was published. A whole Chapter (26) is dedicated to recommendations relating to the costs regimes for Housing cases and disputes. For a copy of the report, click here. Temporary homes for the priority […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 18 January 2010

Issue 75 – 18th January 2010

COURT OF APPEAL Constructive dismissal Stuart Peters Ltd v Bell [2009] EWCA Civ 938The principle in Norton Tool does not apply where the dismissal relied upon is a constructive dismissal under section 95(1)(c) Employment Rights Act 1996 ("ERA") so that credit has to be given for earnings during what would have been the notice period.http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2009/938.html […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 18 January 2010

Issue 167 – 18th January 2010

News Independent research published by the Refugee Council last week has revealed refugees have little, if any, choice over which country they claim asylum in, and that few know what to expect before they arrive in the UKhttp://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/news/press/2010/January/14012010_a The UK Border Agency announced last week that identity cards will now be required by migrant skilled […]

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 13 January 2010

Issue 164 – 13th January 2010

**STOP PRESS: there are still some places available for next week’s conference on homelessness, lettings and possession proceedings – Meeting Housing Needs conference in Bristol on 19 January 2010. Speakers include: the Housing Ombudsman; barrister Jan Luba QC; solicitors Derek McConnell and Steve Povey; and DJ Exton. For more details, click here. ** The Latest […]

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 7 January 2010

Oxford University Press publishes Blackstone’s Guide to the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009

Authors: Ian Macdonald QC, Laurie Fransman QC, Adrian Berry and Ronan Toal, barristers at Garden Court Chambers; Alison Harvey, General Secretary, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA); Hina Majid, Legal Policy Director, Joint Council for the

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 4 January 2010

Issue 163 – 4th January 2010

The Latest Housing Law News County Court Possession Day duty schemes: the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme is funded by the Legal Services Commission, covering 112 courts in England & Wales and the vast majority of all possession claims issued. The Department of Communities and Local Government funds a further 80 court desks to complement […]

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 23 December 2009

LAG publishes Repairs: tenants’ rights

Repairs: tenants' rights has long been recognised as an essential text for all housing advisers and lawyers dealing with disrepair and other adverse conditions affecting residents in rented housing accommodation.

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 23 December 2009

An Inquest Jury Delivers a Damming Verdict into Stabbing of Colette Lynch

A jury has reached a damning verdict in relation to the state’s role in the killing of Colette Lynch, stabbed to death by her partner Percy Wright in February 2005 with their two year old daughter in his arms.

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 22 December 2009

Jury Find Police Restraint Killed Mikey Powell

The jury at the inquest into the controversial death in police custody in 2003 of Michael Lloyd Powell (known as Mikey) returned a damning narrative verdict and found that the way that he was restrained resulted in his death from positional asphyxia.

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 22 December 2009

Garden Court Chambers Christmas Opening Times

Please note that as usual over the Christmas holiday period there will be some occasions when the building will be locked and alarmed and there will be no access for anyone. At other times there will be staff or a security guard on the premises and member

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 21 December 2009

Issue 162 – 21st December 2009

The Latest Housing Law News Who gets social housing? on 18 December 2009 the Government released the latest revised statistics on lettings of social housing in England. They show what types of household were allocated social housing accommodation and they identify trends in lettings. For the full tables of figures, click here. Recording homelessness prevention: […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 21 December 2009

Issue 166 – 21st December 2009

News The Chief Inspector of Prisons has reported this week that detention conditions for women and children at Tinsley House Detention Centre are unacceptable. Read more. The UKBA have revised again their Judicial Review guidance. They will now seek to continue with removal in cases where a previous removal has failed within the last ten […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 14 December 2009

Issue 161 – 14th December 2009

The Latest Housing Law News Homelessness: the latest quarterly statistics on homelessness in England were released on 10 December 2009. They show further reductions in the number of applicants in respect of whom councils accepted the main housing duty and in the number of households in temporary accommodation. Despite the fact that the use of […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 11 December 2009

Issue 74 – 11th December 2009

European Commission The European Commission sent two reasoned opinions to the United Kingdom for incorrectly implementing EU rules prohibiting discrimination in employment and occupation on the grounds of gender (2002/73/EC) and rules prohibiting discrimination based on religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in employment and occupation (Directive 2000/78/EC). This is the second stage […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 11 December 2009

Issue 165 – 10th December 2009

News The Royal Colleges of Paediatrics and Child Health, GPs, Psychiatrists and the UK Faculty of Public Health, have said detention of children and their families in removal centres for failed asylum seekers causes "significant harm" and should be ended without delay. Read more. From January 2010, skilled migrant workers and their dependants will receive […]

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 9 December 2009

Supreme Court delivers judgment in the case of Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs v Meier and others

On 1st December the Supreme Court delivered judgment in the case of Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs v Meier and others [2009] UKSC 11.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 7 December 2009

Issue 160 – 7th December 2009

The Latest Housing Law News Unauthorised sub-tenants in social housing: on 30 November 2009 the Housing Minister announced details of a new campaign to address "housing fraud", particularly in the form of unauthorised sub-letting of social housing in England. Each local authority and large social landlord is to receive funding to encourage a clampdown on […]

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 3 December 2009

Failures at HMP Leeds, the Probation Service and Mental Health Inreach Team Contribute to the Death of a Recalled Prisoner

Sitting before HM Deputy Coroner for Leeds, David Hinchliffe and a Jury. The inquest into the death of Paul Clarkson at HMP Leeds on 6 July 2006, following his recall on licence, concluded on Wednesday 18 November 2009 with the jury deciding that the medi

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 30 November 2009

Issue 159 – 30th November 2009

The Latest Housing Law News Preventing Possession: the incredibly useful, but previously unpublished, Short Guide from Regional Resource Teams for Local Authorities on how to Prevent Homelessness due to Mortgage and Landlord Repossession has now been distributed to the Housing Benefit sections of all local housing authorities. It comes as an Appendix to Circular HB/CTB […]