As you all know, we six merry souls write NL because, well, we love housing / landlord and tenant law. Our fearless leader has even been described as a "nut"* for the subject. We're glad that we can produce something that people find useful but, even that is...
Legal Aid reforms – Housing
The Ministry of Justice 'consultation paper' on reforms to legal aid to achieve a £350 million cut by 2013/4 is out. It is a hefty 224 odd pages. Responses are required by 14 February 2011 I've done what I can to fillet out its significance for housing and...
The 2010 HLPA conference
As per previous years, this is the conference for those involved in housing law. Most, probably all, of the NL team will be there. Everyone else should be too. 15 December 2010, at Royal College of Surgeons. Lincolns Inn Fields, London. 6 hours CPD for both...
If you’ve got a spare 30 mins
The Lord Chancellor, the Rt Hon. Ken Clarke QC MP gave a surprisingly frank interview to Law in Action this week. It's available on the BBC iplayer, here, for the moment and is very much worth 30 mins of your time. The questions on legal aid and, in...
Equality Act 2010
I’m going to level with you, dear reader(s), I’m a bit late with this one. In my defence, I point to the fact that the Act as printed is around 250 pages long, consisting of 218 sections and 28 schedules. The explanatory notes run to over 160 pages. There is...
Bad landlords and good housing lawyers on the TV
Panorama on BBC1 this evening (link to iPlayer, good for the next few days) was about notably bad examples of private landlords providing 'housing' for benefit claimants. Tame Estates in the North West and some others, who frankly all looked like a mass...
Social Welfare contracts – not over yet
While Family and Family and Housing roll on under the old contracts, SWL new contracts are due to start on 15 November. However, there is another judicial review claim by an unsuccessful firm, Davies Gore Lomax of Leeds. The hearing is listed for 27 October....
Asked, but not necessarily answered
After the excitements of Kay v UK, the LSC Judicial Review and the coming into force of (bits) of the Equalities Act - on which we will have a post shortly - there is a bit of a lull before the floods of new housing case law start up again. So, time for...
Law Soc JR: Some details
I have some details of the Law Society v Legal Services Commission judicial review judgment. Can't reveal my source but they were close to the action. [edited 01/10/2010 - some corrections] The JR was won on the issue of the significance given to panel...
Law Society v LSC newsflash
Result out this afternoon. The Law Society won their JR of the Family tender process. No details yet - more as and when. But things are going to be very interesting. Who bets on current contracts extended till April 2011 while Ken readies his axe?
25 years of ‘Recent Developments in Housing Law’
I really couldn't let this one pass by without adding my congratulations. Jan Luba QC and HHJ Nic Madge have been producing the 'Recent Developments in Housing Law' in Legal Action for 25 years as of this month, quarterly from 1985 to 1988, then in the...
On the CLP judicial review…
People may recall that the Community Law Partnership's judicial review of the LSC was listed for an adjourned hearing on 8 September. We have had the following statement from CLP which is given as is. We've been asked to note that CLP will not be making any...