Employment news Zero hours contracts The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills is consulting on the future of zero hours contracts (i.e. contracts in which a worker is subordinated to the employer but is not offered any minimum number of hours in advance). These contracts have proved controversial because of the potential imbalance where a […]
Housing Law News Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPS) (1): today (3 February) is that last day on which local authorities can apply to the UK Government for a share of the extra £20 million being made available to councils this year for DHPs. On 29 January 2014 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Minister told […]
Immigration Law News The Home Secretary published a proposed amendment to the Immigration Bill passing through Parliament whereby she will be able to deprive a person of British citizenship acquired by naturalisation even if by doing so she will render the person stateless. She will be able to use that power if the person ‘has […]
Shu Shin Luh, in an interview with LexisNexis, explores the legislative requirements and case law regarding the detention of children by the police.
The Court of Appeal in a test case on Tuesday overturned a decision of the Administrative Court in relation to Home Office policy of detaining those subject to immigration control with a serious mental illness.
Tim Baldwin and Connor Johnston have successfully represented the claimant in two linked housing disrepair cases involving substantial damages. Of concern is that cases like this now probably lie outside the scope of legal aid.
Housing Law News Defending possession claims: yesterday (27 January 2014) the legal aid rules were changed so that legal aid is no longer available to defend residential possession claims which only have ‘borderline’ prospects of success. For the regulations making that change, click here. For the explanatory memorandum, click here. The regulations were approved despite […]
Employment Law News 98 South-West workers on industry blacklist Blacklisted engineer Dave Smith is next month speaking at the South West TUC’s health and safety conference in Exeter. Dave Smith lost his job after leading a series of on-site health and safety campaigns at work, earning him the reputation as a trouble-maker in the eyes […]
Immigration Law Cases Secretary of State for the Home Department v Rodriguez [2014] EWCA Civ 220 January 2014A letter of the 19 May 2011 from the UKBA to the Joint Education Task Force Members, which stated that a new practice whereby all applicants would be notified of the absence of mandatory evidence and would be […]
The Central London County Court has dismissed a claim for possession against a profoundly deaf gay man who cannot speak. The judge called for more flexible criteria when considering lesbian or gay relationships. John Beckley represented the defendant.
The High Court has held that a young girl, removed from her parents' care and put in the care of her grandmother, was placed there pursuant to the local authority's duty under section 20, Children Act 1989. Shu Shin Luh acted for the claimant.
Adrian Berry and Amanda Weston are due to speak at this conference on the deprivation of citizenship in the UK, which will take place on Friday 14 February 2014.
The Housing Team has published its submissions in response to the Consultation on the Housing (Wales) Bill, which were sent to the Welsh Government on Friday.
Housing Law News Social housing rent arrears: following the conclusion of a consultation exercise, the Protection from Eviction (Bedroom Tax) (Scotland) Bill has been put before Scottish Parliament. It would seek to prevent possession for rent arrears caused by the impact of the ‘bedroom tax’. For a summary of the consultation responses, click here. For […]
Immigration Law News The ‘Dublin III’ Regulations (Regulation (EU) No. 604/2013) came into force on 1 January 2014. To read more, click here. The Immigration (European Economic Area) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2013 (SI.No.3032/2013), which amends the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006, substantially came into force on 1 January 2014. The Amendment Regulations inter […]
Leslie Thomas has been named as a leading campaigner in The Lawyer magazine’s Hot 100 list. Leslie is recognised for the work he does regarding deaths in custody and at the hands of the police.
Employment Law News Low-paid government workers go to law over pay freeze About 250 workers in the House of Commons will launch legal action this month in an attempt to show that the 2011 decision by Chancellor George Osborne to scrap their automatic annual pay increases, amounted to a breach of their contracts of employment. […]
Eleven protestors have been acquitted of all charges over their roles in the Balcombe anti-fracking protests of last summer. The defendants were represented by Shahida Begum and Stephen Knight of Garden Court Chambers.
Housing Law News Housing & anti-social behaviour: on 8 January 2014 the House of Lords carried an amendment to Clause 1 of the Anti-social Behaviour Bill which will draw a distinction between a lower threshold for action on anti-social behaviour in the housing context and a higher threshold for intervention in other contexts. To read […]
On 8 January 2014, the jury at the inquest into the death of Mark Duggan, who was shot by police in August 2011, reached its conclusion. Leslie Thomas represented the loved ones of Mr Duggan.
