News UKBA announce that students who worked as interns in the UK in summer 2011 and want to return to a graduate job with the same company are now temporarily exempt from ‘cooling off rules’ as introduced to Tier 2 (General) in February 2012. To read further and for exemption criteria click here. The argument […]
Employment news Draft bill publishedThe government’s Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill has now had its first reading in Parliament. Part 2 of the Bill would make a number of changes to Tribunal practice and procedure, including a mandatory period of Acas conciliation before instituting tribunal proceedings, a power for the Secretary of State to limit […]
The Latest Housing Law News Housing and anti-social behaviour: on 22 May 2012 the Minister for Housing announced that the UK Government is to press ahead with changes to the grounds for possession for anti-social behaviour (ASB). The discretionary ground will be enlarged to include any riot-related criminal behaviour and a new power to obtain […]
Cases AK (Article 15(c)) Afghanistan CG [2012] UKUT 163 (IAC)18 May 2012The Tribunal continues to regard as correct the summary of legal principles governing Article 15(c) of the Refugee Qualification Directive as set out in HM and others (Article 15(c)) Iraq CG; AMM and Others (conflict; humanitarian crisis; returnees; FGM) Somalia CG [2011] UKUT 00445 […]
Henry Blaxland QC represented Sam Hallam whose conviction for murder was quashed by the Court of Appeal in what has been described as a serious miscarriage of justice.
Garden Court Chambers is proud to announce that Stephanie Harrison, Shu Shin Luh and Leslie Thomas have been announced as finalists in the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year (LALY) awards.
The Latest Housing Law News Social Housing Fraud: on 16 May 2012 the Audit Commission published the latest annual report on the National Fraud Initiative which allows social landlords which are members to swop personal data to enable them to detect social housing fraud. It records that 235 unlawfully occupied social housing properties have been […]
Cases Ahmadi (s.47 decision: validity; Sapkota) Afghanistan [2012] UKUT 147 (IAC) (14 May 2012) The Upper Tribunal found that a removal decision under section 47 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 cannot be made in respect of a person until written notice of the decision to refuse to vary that person’s leave to […]
News UKBA announce a clause in the new Crime and Courts Bill to remove the full right of appeal for those applying to enter the UK as a family visitor from 2014. To read further click here. Cases M v London Borough of Croydon [2012] EWCA Civ 595 (8 May 2012)Further guidance from the CA […]
Desmond Rutledge appeared in the Court of Appeal case of Burnip v Birmingham City Council & Anor [2012] EWCA Civ 629.
David Emanuel has successfully applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to refer the murder conviction of Kevin Cole back to the Court of Appeal.
The Latest Housing Law News Possession Claims: the latest statistics on mortgage and landlord possession actions in the county courts of England and Wales were released on 10 May 2012 covering the first quarter of 2012. They indicate that the North West of England is the region most affected by mortgage possession claims. The number […]
Employment news Protests against austerityProtests against public sector cuts on 10 May saw roughly 400,000 public sector workers strike, as well as a demonstration by up to 30,000 police officers, and unofficial stoppages by prison officers. Click here for more information Call for evidence still open The government’s call for evidence on compensated no-fault dismissals […]
The High Court accepted that the way in which the Housing Benefit scheme operates in relation to members of the gypsy community was discriminatory.
Cases Kizhakudan v Secretary of State for Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 5662nd May 2012A Senior Immigration Judge had misdirected himself in holding that he was unable to reconsider Article 8 findings, having found that that there was an error of law regarding the First Tier Tribunal judge’s interpretation of the Secretary of State’s policy […]
The Latest Housing Law News Squatting: the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 received Royal Assent on 1 May 2012. Section 144 creates the new offence of squatting in a residential building. It will be brought into force by ministerial order. For a copy of the Act, click here. For the Impact […]
Stephen Knafler QC and Alex Grigg win deportation appeal in the Court of Appeal, in the case of Deron Peart v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2012] EWCA Civ 568.
Employment news Austerity bites: Black graduates pay price in jobs crisis as majority fail to find workJust four out of ten black students are in full-time employment six months after leaving university, new figures have shown. Click here to read the news story. Workers’ Memorial Day rally held in ManchesterThis annual event which took place […]
The Latest Housing Law News Sub-letting and other tenancy fraud: last week saw the launch of The Tenancy Fraud Forum – an independent not for profit organisation which has been established to bring social landlords together to combat tenancy fraud. Its mission is to create a network across the UK to combat tenancy fraud in […]
News UNHCR has published a paper, "Hungary as a country of asylum: Observations on the situation of asylum-seekers and refugees in Hungary" expressing concerns regarding the treatment of asylum seekers there. Click here for more information. Cases De Almeida, R (on the application of) v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea [2012] EWHC 1082 (Admin) […]
