News & Views

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News & Views

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 25 February 2014

Employment Law Bulletin – Issue 163 – 25 February 2014

Employment News Regulations published, giving effect to ACAS conciliation and financial penalties The Employment Tribunals (Early Conciliation: Exemptions and Rules of Procedure) Regulations 2014, The Employment Tribunals (Constitution and Rules of Procedure) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, and the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (Commencement No.5, Transitional Provisions and Savings) Order 2014 have all been published. […]

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 25 February 2014

Immigration Law Bulletin – Issue 360 – 25 February 2014

Immigration Law News The Government announced last week that from March 2014, EU citizens will need to be earning at least £150 per week to qualify as a ‘worker’. To read more, click here. The Home Office has published the fourth in a series of reports that explore migrants’ journeys through the UK’s immigration system. […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 24 February 2014

Judge dismisses charge brought by Serious Fraud Office

A judge has dismissed charges brought by the Serious Fraud Office against a solicitor, two solicitor partners, a senior QC and two company directors. Henry Blaxland QC acted for one of the defendants.

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 21 February 2014

Maya Sikand joins Archbold Contributing Editors team

Maya Sikand has accepted an invitation to join the eminent team of Contributing Editors to Archbold.

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 21 February 2014

Supreme Court issues landmark judgment regarding the protection of Article 3 rights of asylum seekers within the EU

The Supreme Court has reversed the decision of the Court of Appeal regarding the appropriate test for assessing whether reception conditions for asylum seekers in an EU Member State are so inadequate as to amount to a breach of Article 3. Mark Symes was i

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 21 February 2014

Complaint filed at ICC over NATO allies’ complicity in US drone strikes

Victims of US drone strikes in Pakistan have filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court accusing NATO members of war crimes.

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 19 February 2014

Leslie Thomas and Marc Willers appointed as Queen’s Counsel

Garden Court Chambers is delighted to announce that Dr Leslie Thomas and Marc Willers have been appointed Queen's Counsel.

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 18 February 2014

High Court rules in favour of former soldier refused British Citizenship because of speeding offence

The High Court today ruled in favour of a former member of the British Armed Forces who had been refused British Citizenship on the basis of a sole speeding offence for which he received 5 points and a £100 fine. Raza Halim was instructed for the claiman

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 17 February 2014

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 344 – 17 February 2014

Housing Law News Evictions: on 13 February 2014 the UK Government published the latest court statistics on possession claims brought by landlords and mortgage lenders in England and Wales. The figures indicate that 9,607 tenants were actually evicted in only 13 weeks (October to December 2013) by county court bailiffs acting pursuant to social and […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 17 February 2014

Immigration Law Bulletin – Issue 359 – 17 February 2014

Immigration Law News The Government has renewed the immigration concession for Syrian nationals for another year, until 28 February 2015. This concession gives greater flexibility to Syrian nationals who are in the UK on a visa, by offering them more ways to extend their stay in the UK. To read further, click here. Immigration Law […]

Garden Court Chambers | Friday 14 February 2014

European Court of Human Rights to decide whether conditions for asylum seekers in Italy breach Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights

The Court will decide whether other Member States should take responsibility for asylum claims rather than returning asylum seekers to Italy. Mark Symes has been instructed by the intervenors.

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 12 February 2014

Immigration Bulletin – Issue 358 – 12 February 2014

Immigration Law News The lessons of Morecambe Bay have not been learned – ten years after the cockle pickers tragedy, we are still focusing on the arrival of migrants, not their rights. To read more, click here. Immigration Minister Mark Harper quits over illegal cleaner. To read more, click here. Gay asylum seekers face humiliation. […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 10 February 2014

Dexter Dias QC published in Guardian on UK’s failure to protect women and girls from genital mutilation

Dexter Dias QC has published an article in The Guardian analysing why the anti-FGM law has failed and offering alternative solutions.

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 10 February 2014

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 343 – 10 February 2014

Housing Law News Housing and Anti-Social Behaviour: the Government’s Anti-social Behaviour etc Bill passed its remaining Parliamentary stages last week. It will receive Royal Assent shortly. For a background briefing on the various amendments to the Bill made in the House of Lords, click here. Housing Law changes: the Deregulation Bill had its House of […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 10 February 2014

Employment Law Bulletin – Issue 162 – 11 February 2014

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 […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 3 February 2014

Housing Law Bulletin – Issue 342 – 3 February 2014

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 […]

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 3 February 2014

Immigration Law Bulletin – Issue 357 – 3 February 2014

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 […]

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 30 January 2014

Under what circumstances can children lawfully be detained by the police? Shu Shin Luh explains.

Shu Shin Luh, in an interview with LexisNexis, explores the legislative requirements and case law regarding the detention of children by the police.

Administrative and Public Law | Thursday 30 January 2014

Court of Appeal rules immigration detention of mentally ill woman unlawful

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.

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 29 January 2014

Successful outcomes in linked disrepair claims demonstrate the importance of preserving Legal Aid for housing cases

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.