News & Views

Keep up-to-date with the latest news and insights from Garden Court Chambers.

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News & Views

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 2 October 2012

Employment Law Bulletin – Issue 134 – 2 October 2012

Employment news Consultations remain open The Government’s consultations on settlement agreements and Tribunal procedure remain open. Blacklisting: companies in the firing line The Mirror reports that former construction workers have now begun a £600 million blacklisting claim against companies including Sir Robert McAlpine, Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Amec, Skanska and Taylor Woodrow. The issue is also […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 1 October 2012

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 282 – 1 October 2012

The Latest Housing Law News New Judicial Officers: this morning (1 October 2012) Lord Neuberger was sworn-in as a Justice of the UK Supreme Court and as its new President. For the details, click here. Lord Dyson was sworn-in as the new Master of the Rolls. Chris Grayling MP took his oath of office as […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 1 October 2012

Immigration Law Bulletin – Issue 294 – 1 October 2012

News The UKBA have published a response to the legal challenge to their revocation of London Metropolitan University’s Tier 4 sponsorship licence. For more information click here. The UKBA have introduced changes, due to start today, to their online application process. For more information click here. It is being reported that the UKBA maintains a […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 28 September 2012

Saving the Human Rights Act: Our Response to the Commission on a Bill of Rights

Garden Court Chambers has today submitted a formal response to the Second Consultation by the Commission on a Bill of Rights. In it we stress the importance of retaining the existing rights and provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998, and question the mer

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 25 September 2012

Rebecca Hill acts in Olympic “ticket touting” test case

Rebecca Hill has successfully secured the dismissal of "ticket touting" charges against a Serbian man on the grounds that the English court did not have jurisdiction to try him.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 24 September 2012

Mark Symes acts in Court of Appeal test case on returning asylum seekers to Italy

Mark Symes was part of the legal team in a set of test cases involving the lawfulness of returning asylum seekers to have their cases considered in Italy. The cases arose because of the lack of accommodation there.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 24 September 2012

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 281 – 24 September 2012

The Latest Housing Law News Social housing lettings and sales: on 21 September 2012 the latest statistics on lettings and sales by social landlords in England were published. They reveal that there were 362,610 new lettings of social housing in 2011/2012, a 2% increase on 2010/2011. Of those, 72 % of lets were by private […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 21 September 2012

Sarah Hemingway negotiated substantial damages and extensive apology from Kent Police in race discrimination case

The Chief Constable of Kent Police settled a race discrimination claim that alleged they had failed to take adequate steps to protect a young family from racial harassment from their neighbours. The Claimants, represented by Sarah Hemingway and Darren Whi

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 20 September 2012

Garden Court Chambers receives top ranking in Legal 500 2012

Garden Court Chambers is delighted once again to have been recognised as a first tier set in the prestigious Legal 500 2012. We are now ranked in six areas of law, with 46 barristers recommended - over a third of our members.

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 20 September 2012

Alexander Litvinenko inquest will consider the role of the Russian State

A High Court Judge has now been appointed to hear the inquest into the death of former KGB agent and Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko. At a pre-inquest review today, the judge agreed to consider the role of the Russian State in causing his death, an

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 18 September 2012

Indeterminate sentences are a breach of human rights under Article 5(1) ECHR

The European Court of Human Rights ruled today that indeterminate prison sentences are a violation of Article 5(1) of the European Convention of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to liberty and security. The ruling applies to prisoners detained bey

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 18 September 2012

Employment Law Bulletin – Issue 133 – 17 September 2012

Employment news Consultation: settlement and limiting the compensatory award The Government last week published a consultation document on the transition from compromise to settlement agreements. Potentially the most interesting idea contained in it is the suggestion that the government should publish "guideline tariffs", as to what sum an employer should offer an employee when he […]

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 18 September 2012

Immigration Law Bulletin – Issue 292 – 18 September 2012

News Just as the UTIAC declared in VT (Dublin Regulation: post-removal appeal) Sri Lanka [2012] UKUT 308 (IAC) that allegations of mistreatment in safe third countries were not a matter to require investigation in Dublin 2 cases, UNHCR declared that Serbia was not a safe third country. Meanwhile Slovakia was the object of severe criticism […]

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 18 September 2012

European Court success for Romani Gypsy in Buckland v United Kingdom

Marc Willers (together with Sharon Baxter of the Community Law Partnership) acted on behalf of Maria Buckland, a Romani Gypsy, in the European Court of Human Rights.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 17 September 2012

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 280 – 17 September 2012

The Latest Housing Law News Housing need: on 12 September 2012 an alliance of housing organizations called Housing Voice launched a new report concluding that current and previous governments have failed to take responsibility for meeting the housing needs of those who are most in need. For a copy of the report, To have or […]

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 12 September 2012

Stephanie Harrison shortlisted as Human Rights and Public Law Junior of the Year

Garden Court Chambers is delighted to learn that Stephanie Harrison has been shortlisted as Human Rights and Public Law Junior of the Year in the prestigious Chambers Bar Awards 2012.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 10 September 2012

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 279 – 10 September 2012

The Latest Housing Law News Homelessness: the latest figures for statutory homelessness in England were published on 6 September 2012. They show that 12,860 applicants were accepted as owed the main homelessness duty between 1 April and 30 June 2012, 9% higher than during the same quarter of 2011. 51,640 households were in temporary accommodation […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 10 September 2012

Immigration Law Bulletin – Issue 291 – 10 September 2012

News Statement of changes HC 565 comes into effect on 6 September and 1 October 2012. The changes bring a raft of requirements previously set out in guidance, into the immigration rules. Click here for more information. The UK Border Agency has issued its quarterly stats for April – June 2012. Click here for more […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 7 September 2012

Henry Blaxland QC and Hossein Zahir act for Julian Assange sureties

Henry Blaxland QC and Hossein Zahir appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday, acting for four of those who stood for surety for Julian Assange. The four are at risk of losing their money because, rather than surrender to police for the purpose

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 7 September 2012

Leslie Thomas acts for Azelle Rodney’s family at public inquiry into fatal shooting

The full oral hearings for the public inquiry into the fatal shooting of Azelle Rodney by the Metropolitan Police opened this week, with Leslie Thomas acting for Mr Rodney's family. This is the first such inquiry in England into a death, replacing the rol