Madeleine Bunting has an editorial in the Grauniad decrying the civil legal aid reforms, in particular for the effect on the Not for Profits, as well as the 'paralegal in call centre' approach. Apparently Gateshead Law Centre went into receivership last week...
The Pyramid Scheme
This post is about paralegals and barristers in legal aid work. Which means that it will mostly turn out to be about solicitors. The latest Legal Action (March 2008) has a rather dispiriting, but unsurprising piece on the results of a Young Legal Aid...
Making Good and homeless figures
Via Garden Court's 10 March 2008 bulletin. Birmingham (yes them again) have had their tenancy agreement found to be misleading by the Ombudsman in terms of their liability for making good damage resulting from repairs. Homeless figures are out for the last...
Birmingham: "Everybody does it"
Apparently, Birmingham are still furious about the Court of Appeal decision in Aweys, with the Tory cabinet member for housing showing marked signs of not actually getting it. In the course of a rant about the CLG offering 'advisors' to help with homeless at...
Housing Associations and public function to be tested?
[Edit 30 June 08. The judgment in the following case is now out. For a detailed comment, see this post.] According to Inside Housing, London & Quadrant are fighting an application for Judicial Review in Susan Weaver v London & Quadrant Housing Trust....
Permanent trespassers – a fan letter
A very interesting case report and article by James Stark of Garden Court North in the current Legal Action (March 2008) presents a possible solution to the permanent trespasser problem, at least in part. Permanent trespassers are those who have paid off the...
Accidentally Secure
And so to the last of the marathon of housing case notes I've knocked out over the last few days.... This was reported in the Law Gazette, Mansfield District Council v Langridge (2008) CA (Civ Div), (free access at the time of writing) and is not yet on...
Allocation and cumulative need
Ahmad, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Newham [2008] EWCA Civ 140 was Newham's appeal of a JR decision that its allocation scheme was unlawful for failing to take adequate account of cumulative need. This is going to be a long post. Allocation...
Considering suspension of possession for ASB
London Borough of Lambeth v Debrah [2007] EWCA Civ 1503 was an application for permission to appeal a Circuit Judge judgment giving an order for possession, which was not suspended or stayed. The appeal was not against the order, but the refusal to suspend....
Housing for children
A couple of recent cases concerning local authorities' duties under s.20 Childrens Act 1989 R (On The Application of M) (Fc) V London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Appellate Committee [2008] UKHL 14 concerns the varied responsibilities of Social Services...
The hopeful LiP
Although the energy to do proper case comments has deserted me until tomorrow, I couldn't resist this exchange, which is just about all that is reported of Bedi, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Hounslow [2007] EWHC 3311 (Admin) MR JUSTICE...
Suddenly…
there are quite a few cases to cover. Ahmad, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Newham [2008] EWCA Civ 140 on determining priority in allocation schemes. G, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Southwark [2007] EWCA Civ 1506 on...