News & Views

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Garden Court Chambers | Monday 18 April 2011

Fundamental Rights Platform Meeting

Marc Willers attended the fourth Annual Meeting of the EU's Fundamental Rights Platform (FRP) on 13-14 April in Vienna on behalf of Garden Court Chambers.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 18 April 2011

Immigration Bulletin – Issue 224 – 18 April 2011

News David Cameron launched the Conservative’s local election campaign last week with a speech on immigration. To read further, click here. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, called on European countries last week to adopt a more humane approach to migration. To read further, click here. The Poppy Project, which provides […]

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 12 April 2011

Client of Anna Morris interviewed on Radio 4 about violence against sex worker case

A client of Anna Morris has been interviewed on Radio 4's Women's Hour about the problems faced by sex workers who experience violence in the course of their work.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 11 April 2011

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 212 – 11 April 2011

The Latest Housing Law News Homes from offices and commercial premises: on 8 April 2011 the UK Government launched a consultation exercise on proposed changes to planning laws designed to make it easier for empty office blocks and other commercial premises to be converted for use as residential accommodation. For a copy of the consultation […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 11 April 2011

Immigration Bulletin – Issue 223 – 11 April 2011

News The coalition government’s new annual limit on non-EU worker migrants came into force on 6 April. To read further, click here. New ‘immigration fees’ came into force on 6 April. To read further, click here. To see The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2011, click here. The European Parliament has backed and amended the […]

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 6 April 2011

Leslie Thomas secures damages for a man wrongly accused of child pornography charges

Leslie Thomas has successfully acted for a client who suffered psychiatric injury following his prosecution for charges relating to child pornography in 2004. He received £20,000 in damages for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office after

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 5 April 2011

Jury find Death of a Detained Patient Under the Mental Health Act was Contributed to by Neglect

On 30 March 2011 at the culmination of a two week inquest into the death of 24 year old Mark James Dakin, a patient detained under the Mental Health Act in a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in Bolton, a jury sitting at Bolton Coroners Court returne

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 4 April 2011

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 211 – 4 April 2011

The Latest Housing Law News Housing Cases in the County Court: on 29 March 2011, the UK coalition Government launched a consultation exercise on proposals to reform the handling of cases in the county courts. In relation to Housing cases, the proposals include retaining the £1000 small claims limit for housing disrepair and making the […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 4 April 2011

Immigration Bulletin – Issue 222 – 4 April 2011

News The Immigration Minister Damien Green made a ministerial statement last week, detailing the Government’s proposed changes to Tier 4 of the Points Based System. To read further, click here. Cases Secretary of State for the Home Department v MK (Tunisia) [2011] EWCA Civ 333The Court of Appeal in found that S.3D(2)(a) of the Immigration […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 1 April 2011

Kirsten Heaven acts in inquest that records narrative verdict critical of the Metropolitan Police Service

Kirsten Heaven has acted for the husband of a vulnerable woman who died shortly after being released from police custody. The case highlights the responsibilities of police officers towards members of the public during and after arrest.

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 31 March 2011

Employment Law Bulletin – Issue 99 – 31 March 2011

Employment Appeal Tribunal Amendment Walsall MBC & Housing 21 Ltd v Birch & ors UKEAT/0376/10/JOJThe Employment Tribunal had not erred in applying Selkent and granting permission to the Claimants to amend their equal pay claims to join the transferee to an existing claim for Equal Pay against the transferor, even though the claims had not […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 28 March 2011

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 210 – 28 March 2011

The Latest Housing Law News Squatting: on 21 March 2011, the UK coalition Government announced that it will take steps in the New Year to make squatting a criminal offence. Meanwhile it has published ‘strengthened’ and updated guidance for homeowners, indicating what steps they can take if a squatter invades their home. For the announcement, […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 25 March 2011

Immigration Bulletin – Issue 221 – 28 March 2011

News Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi, the current holder of the EU presidency, states that Western air strikes on Libya have averted a refugee crisis that could have seen hundreds of thousands of Libyans flood into Egypt. To read further, click here. Meanwhile, International agency Oxfam welcomed the visit of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, […]

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 22 March 2011

Leslie Thomas secures damages for man wrongly arrested and assaulted by the police

Leslie Thomas has once again secured substantial damages plus costs for a man who was wrongly arrested and assaulted by police officers. The case demonstrates the need for the legal system to hold the police and others in public office to account.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 21 March 2011

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 209 – 21 March 2011

The Latest Housing Law News More Housing Contracts for Legal Advisers: prospective providers of housing law advice have until 23 March 2011 to register expressions of interest with the Legal Services Commission for providing social welfare law services in North Lincolnshire, Warwickshire South, and Oxfordshire. Also, on 17 March 2011 further bid-rounds opened for contracts […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 21 March 2011

Immigration Bulletin – Issue 220 – 21 March 2011

Editor’s note: The Immigration Law Bulletin has not been issued for three weeks due to the editors being on leave. Consequently this issue covers developments since 1 March. News A National Audit Office report published last week, criticised the UKBA’s failure to carry out checks on whether overstayers had left the country and their reliance […]

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 17 March 2011

Employment Law Bulletin – Issue 98 – 17 March 2011

Court of Appeal EAT Procedure Korashi v Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Local Health Board [2011] EWCA Civ 187In the circumstances, the invitation to the Employment Tribunal to supplement its written reasons under the Burns/Barke procedure, by the use of extensive questioning was close to exceeding the ambit of discretion that the procedure allows. However, while […]

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 16 March 2011

Begging to differ in Westminster

At a time when government spending cuts and caps on housing benefit are starting to bite, Liz Davies paints a bleak picture of how this is going to affect the homeless.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 14 March 2011

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 208 – 14 March 2011

The Latest Housing Law News Housing allocation, homelessness and more: on 28 February 2011 the UK coalition Government published a summary of responses to its consultation paper Local decisions: a fairer future for social housing. For the summary, click here. The ministerial statement made on the same day indicated that the Government would press ahead […]