Michael Paget gave an interview on BBC Radio Berkshire yesterday about the legal position of a group of squatters in the village of Sipson. The land the squatters are living on is of strategic importance as it could be the site of a potential third runway
The Latest Housing Law News Social housing: a new report from the Policy Exchange think tank proposes the sale of high value social rented housing when it falls vacant, with the proceeds used to fund multiple lower value social housing units. For a copy of Ending Expensive Social Tenancies, click here. For the UK Government’s […]
News UNHCR reports that more than 200,000 Syrians have now fled the country. To read further click here. Cases Krolik & Others v Several Judicial Authorities of Poland [2012] EWHC 2357 (Admin) (17 August)The Administrative Court in six joined extradition appeals rejected the claims that Polish prison conditions violate ECHR Article 3. The principle complaint […]
Brenda Campbell will be running the New York marathon for Just for Kids Law
Employment news Job figures mask rise in part-time working and self-employmentOver the past 6 months, the claimant count shows that unemployment has fallen by 300,000. These figures conceal trends towards part-time as opposed full-time working, and towards a large increase in the proportion of workers who are self-employed, which now amounts to around 15% of […]
The Latest Housing Law News Homelessness: on 16 August 2012 the UK Government published the latest statistics on homelessness prevention in England. They show that, in 2011-12, 174,800 cases of homelessness prevention were estimated to have taken place outside the statutory homelessness framework, an increase of 7% on the previous year. The most common action […]
News HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has published a report into the Dover Immigration Removal Centre. For a copy of the report click here. There has been a third roof top protest in less than three weeks at the Morton Hall detention centre in Swinderby, Lincolnshire. For more information click here. The UKBA has indicated […]
The Latest Housing Law News Mortgage default: on 9 August 2012 the Council of Mortgage Lenders published its latest figures for properties repossessed by its members. They show that 8,500 properties were repossessed in April-June 2012. For the details, click here. A leading academic forecast has suggested that repossessions are likely to remain at relatively […]
News The Commission on a Bill of Rights seeks further views from the public, posing a series of questions building on its 2011 Discussion Paper and on the views heard so far, about whether or not this country needs a UK Bill of Rights, and if so, what the form and content of any such […]
A jury in Leicester has delivered a critical narrative verdict at the inquest into the death of a woman in mental health detention. The family of Laura Dickins was represented by Stephen Simblet.
Sarah Hemingway has successfully acted for a man who suffered extensive injuries when he was wrongfully arrested, beaten with police batons and sprayed with CS spray by police officers. He received damages after a jury found in his favour in Liverpool on
The Latest Housing Law News Tenancy strategies: local housing authorities in England have less than six months left to formulate and publish their tenancy strategies for social rented housing in their districts. Shelter has published a new report designed to assist local politicians, strategy officers and policy officers in preparing their Tenancy Strategies and landlord […]
Cases Secretary of State for the Home Department v Hayat (Pakistan) [2012] EWCA Civ 105431 July 2012In considering the ratio of Chikwamba v Secretary of State for the Home Office [2008] UKHL; the Court of Appeal held that dismissing a claim on the procedural ground that it was the Secretary of State’s policy that an […]
Michael Hall and Lalith de Kauwe have secured acquittals at Harrow Crown Court for two men charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH) and robbery.
The jury at the inquest into the death of Sean Rigg has delivered a highly critical narrative verdict, highlighting failures by both the police and mental health services. Mr Rigg died in police custody at Brixton police station in August 2008 after prolo
News In The Fact of Age, a report issued by Maggie Atkinson, Children’s Commissioner for England has revealed problems still occur in age assessments of children seeking asylum. Decision-making often does not function smoothly. This could also result in children being judged to be adults. Click here for more information. Cases RT (Zimbabwe) & Ors […]
James Scobie QC and Julia Krish recently represented the defendant in the murder trial R v Reece Ludlow. After pleading guilty at Woolwich Crown Court, the defendant was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years in prison.
The Latest Housing Law News Housing complaints and the Ombudsmen: the House of Commons Select Committee on Communities and Local Government has been reviewing the performance of the ombudsmen who investigate housing complaints. On 17 July 2012 it published a report on the work of the Local Government Ombudsmen (LGO) and issued a statement that […]
A dispute over who succeeded a council tenant on her death has divided the judiciary and culminated in a landmark ruling in the Supreme Court.
The Latest Housing Law News Social housing allocation: the drip-drip of legal changes to the system of housing allocations in England continued last week with the laying of a new set of Allocation of Housing Regulations. They were laid on 19 July 2012 and come into force on 24 August 2012. They limit the powers […]
