Ratcliffe & Ratcliffe v Patterson & Porter. County Court at Luton, 17 March 2020 (Unreported elsewhere, we've seen an unofficial note of judgment. Grateful thanks to Clare Cullen of Field Court Chambers) A first instance county court judgment on a...
Tribunals and human rights
RR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (2019) UKSC 52 The question of the powers of the First Tier and Upper Tribunals (and indeed initial decision makers) to disapply secondary legislation where there is a breach of the appellant's human rights has...
Equality and Homeless Appeals
Adesotu v Lewisham London Borough Council (2019) EWCA Civ 1405 We first saw this case as a county court appeal (our note here) where the central issue was whether Equality Act 2010 issues could be raised and decided within a section 204 Housing Act 1996...
Possession and the PSED
In Powell v Dacorum BC (2019) EWCA Civ 29 and Forward v Aldwyck Housing Group Ltd (2019) EWHC 24 (QB), the question of the effect of the public sector equality duty under s. 149, Equality Act 2010, on possession proceedings where there had been drugs...
Tenure is not a medical matter
In Kannan v Newham LBC (2019) EWCA Civ 57, Lewison LJ once again (after Lomax - our note) has considered the effect of the public sector equality duty on a review, this time concerning suitability. Mr Kannan and his household had lived in "temporary"...
Alterations, disability and equality
Smailes & Poyner-Smailes v Clewer Court Residents Ltd, Cardiff County Court 30 January 2019 (Unreported but copy of judgment is here). Although only a County Court (Circuit Judge) decision, this is an interesting and potentially significant case on the...
Equality Act and Evictions
Paragon Asra Housing Limited v James Neville [2018] EWCA Civ 1712 An appeal on the issue of whether disability discrimination should be considered afresh on an application for stay of warrant following breach of a suspended possession order. Mr N was...
Possession as a proportionate response
An appeal of a possession order, on grounds of disability discrimination and public law. Eales v Havering LBC (2018) QBD 13/07/2018 (extempore judgment, note on Lawtel) Ms E had a non-secure contractual tenancy from Havering. Havering had sought possession...
Reasonable adjustments and physical alterations. When a landlord isn’t.
There is an interesting note here on a county court case claiming discrimination under Equality Act 2010 for failure to make physical adjustments to a property. As is generally known, a 'controller of let premises' (section 36) does not have to make...
Community contribution, priority stars and discrimination
XC, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Southwark [2017] EWHC 736 (Admin) This was a judicial review of Southwark's allocation policy as it applied to transfers. Specifically, the issue was whether Southwark's policy, in awarding 'priority stars'...
With and without foundation – Bedroom tax in Supreme Court
MA & Ors, R (on the application of) v The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2016] UKSC 58 R (on the application of Carmichael and Rourke) (formerly known as MA and others) (Appellants) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Respondent) R (on...
You’ve lost that loving Ealing. (Sorry)
H & Ors, R (On the Application Of) v Ealing London Borough Council [2016] EWHC 841 (Admin) Ealing's allocation policy has already had lawfulness problems, compounded by Ealing's unlawful refusal to do anything about that unlawfulness. But this judicial...