Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment

Something for the weekend

The House of Lords will be giving judgment in Glasgow CC v Mitchell on Wednesday 18 Feb 09 (link is to a .pdf). This is a case that we’ve missed so far but, in essence, is about the scope of the duty of care (if any) owed by a landlord to their tenants in respect of liability for the anti-social acts of another tenant. In outline, it is said that Mr Mitchell complained to Glasgow CC about his neighbour. He told Glasgow not to let his neighbour know about the complaint. Glasgow then interviewed the neighbour and told him about the complaint, naming Mr Mitchell. The neighbour then killed Mr Mitchell. There is a full (and quite detailed) analysis of the case in the current edition of the Journal of Housing Law. Although it is a Scottish case, it plainly has implications for England and Wales, not just because of the pending appeal in X v Hounslow.

Also (and thanks to Rosaleen Kilbane of CLP for the information), the decision in Secretary of State for the Environment Food & Rural Affairs v Meier & Ors [2008] EWCA Civ 903 is also off to the Lords. Our note is here.

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