A prosecution under s.144 LASPO that came unstuck* R v D Duputell 31 October 2013 Hove Trial Centre [Newspaper report] This was the retrial of Mr Duputell after his earlier trial on charges of breach of s.144 LASPO together with two other co-defendants...
Phoenix from the flames
There was an interesting case-note on Lawtel this week which I suspect most of you saw. The case was LB Enfield v Phoenix and others, High Ct, March 19, 2013, and seemed to concern the circumstances in which a possession claim can properly be issued in the...
Haigh, Squatting is Now Illegal
The Evening Standard is reporting the sentencing of the first person under the new anti-squatting provisions in the LASPO Act. Alex Haigh received 12 weeks in prison. Unfortunately Mr Haigh appeared to be unaware that squatting was now an offence and...
Squatting: The MoJ Guide
We have had a lot to say about squatting. In fact those of you who are quick may even be able to see one of the authors of the blog on television talking about it today! With the new legislation criminalising squatting due to come into force at the weekend...
The cost of criminalising trespass
The Government's proposal to criminalise trespass to residential property, contained in LASPO at clause 136, is due to be considered at report stage in the House of Lords tomorrow (Tuesday 20 March). The Government's estimate of additional costs arising from...
Don’t squash my musical ambitions, dude
Just for a little bit of Friday fun, I bring you the news that friend of the blog Mike Weatherley MP has apparently joined forces with a well known chain of coffee houses to create a competition called ‘Rock The House’. The competition is aimed at unsigned...
Forward to the 18th Century!
The Coalition's proposed legislation this week has a marvellously retro feel to it. Sniff the air. Through the whiff of horse dung and open sewers, you can tell we are back in the days of Queen Anne and not solely because the lawfulness of the catholicity of...
Squatting- A Reply to Mike Weatherley MP
The debate on squatting has become highly polarised and increasingly bad tempered. Mr Weatherley's salvo is merely the latest in a range of unhelpful comments that make for good newspaper sales but achieve little. It falls to me to open the NL team's reply....
Well he would, wouldn’t he?
The mass letter on misrepresentation of trespass will be going out this morning (Monday 26 Sept). The letter will be sent to all the major newspapers, and BBC and ITN news, probably before you read this. The Guardian has what I think is a good article on the...
Forgive us our trespasses…
The Prime Minister's confirmation that the government will be bringing forward legislation for the criminalisation of trespass and the proposed removal of legal aid from trespassers in the Legal AId, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill amount to the...
On the naughty step: Bait and Switch
I don't read the Daily Telegraph. Frankly I've failed to see the point since it stopped featuring details of the salacious trial of the day as a regular fixture on page 3, because the rest of it was preposterous blimpish nonsense, mainly full of regret that...