News From 1 March 2012 the Border Force has been split from the UK Border Agency to become a separate operational command within the Home Office. To read further click here. For the UK government’s draft plan for reforming the European Court of Human Rights – inter alia so as to increase the ‘margin of […]
Garden Court Chambers is delighted to announce that Kieran Vaughan and Pete Weatherby have been appointed as Queen's Counsel today by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
Rebecca Hill has represented a mother in her appeal against extradition to the US. Eileen Clark, a US citizen with three adult children, has been living in the UK for 15 years but stands accused by her former husband and US prosecutors of "kidnapping" her children. After the break up or her marriage, Ms Clark […]
The Latest Housing Law News Rough sleeping: the latest figures on rough sleeping in England were released on 23 February 2012. The Autumn 2011 total of rough sleeping counts and estimates in England was 2,181 individuals, up by 413 (23%) from the Autumn 2010 total. For the full figures, click here. For the ministerial announcement, […]
News The Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency has published a report into the detained fast track. Click here for more information. The UKBA has published its quarterly asylum statistics. Click here for more information. The Children’s Society has published a report into the experience of young refugees and migrants in the UK. […]
Occupy London protesters camped outside St Paul's have been told that they must leave the site after the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the City of London Corporation's eviction proceeding.
Employment news Consultations updateThe MOJ consultation on fees in the ET and EAT is open until 6 March 2012. Click here for more information. Draft Order now published: single judge shall hear Unfair Dismissal claimsThe draft Employment Tribunals Act 1996 (Composition) Order 2012 has now been published. When it comes into effect, unfair dismissal claims […]
Garden Court Chambers is pleased to announce that Henry Blaxland QC, Kathryn Cronin and David Watkinson have been elected as new Joint Heads of Chambers.
The Latest Housing Law News Under-occupying social housing: on 14 February 2012 the House of Lords insisted on an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill designed to protect the welfare benefits of some tenants under-occupying social housing. A reduction in benefits would not apply if: (1) they only have one spare bedroom; and (2) there […]
Cases MM Zimbabwe v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 135 Maurice Kay LJ in the Court of Appeal considered a case where errors leading to delays in determination of an appeal on asylum grounds were entirely those of the Tribunal rather than the Secretary of State, finding that this did […]
Sarah Hemingway monitored the case of the Metal Workers in Turkey who brought unfair dismissal claims against their employers, Sinter Metal Company, on grounds that their dismissal was motivated by anti-union discrimination.
David Renton has launched an employment law blog, where he will comment on his experiences of practising in the employment tribunals on behalf of workers. The launch comes ahead of the publication of David's book Struck Out: Why Employment Tribunals Fail
Shiraz Aziz has represented a woman who was convicted yesterday on multiple counts of benefit fraud, worth £200,000.
The Latest Housing Law News Possession claims: on 9 February 2012 the UK Government published the latest statistics on housing possession claims made in the county courts in England & Wales. These show that while the number of possession claims brought by landlords is increasing, the numbers of claims made by mortgage lenders are stable […]
News Immigration minister Damian Green has issued a written ministerial statement proposing an increase in visa fees. To read further, click here. Statement of Changes in Immigration RulesHC 1733 comes into effect on 13 February 2012 inter alia deleting paras 395A-F of the Immigration Rules. Most significant is the deletion of para 395C. However a […]
Employment news Consultations update The BIS consultations on TUPE and collective redundancy have now closed. The MOJ consultation on charging fees in the ET and EAT is open until 6 March 2012. Click here for the consultation paper. Blacklist case: ET verdictIn a case at London Central ET, concerning blacklisting (i.e. the covert provision of […]
Smita Shah has been invited to join the Advisory Board of a UNICEF UK project on Bringing Children's Rights Into Domestic Law: International Best Practice.
Jan Luba QC has been appointed by Southwark Council to lead an independent commission to examine medium and long-term prospects for the future of council housing in the borough.
The Latest Housing Law News National Housing Strategy for England: on 1 February 2012 the Housing Minister made a written statement to Parliament outlining the steps taken towards implementation of the national housing strategy which was published last November. For the strategy itself, click here. For the ministerial statement on progress, click here. Living in […]
News The full text of Damien Green’s speech delivered last Tuesday can be accessed by clicking here. Cases New London College Ltd, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 5142nd February 2012The guidance for holders of a Tier 4 sponsor’s licence was not "criteria affecting individuals’ […]
