Deprivation of liberty – time to rip up the DOLS regime and start again – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘The dust is now beginning to settle, slightly, after the earthquake that was the decision of the Supreme Court in the conjoined appeals of Cheshire West and P and Q, which extends the criteria for determining whether living arrangements made for mentally incapacitated individuals amount to a deprivation of liberty.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 25th March 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Planning Practice Guidance: An Overview – No. 5 Chambers

Posted March 26th, 2014 in environmental protection, housing, local government, news, planning by sally

‘On 6 March Nick Boles announced the launch of the new Planning Practice Guidance (‘PPG’). The guidance has been in draft ‘Beta’ format since 28 August 2013. It follows a review of planning policy guidance undertaken by Lord Taylor of Goss Moor which began in October 2012. This note is intended to provide a brief overview of the guidance and some of its key features.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 10th March 2014

Source: www.no5.com

Supreme Court set to hear latest in series of village green cases – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 26th, 2014 in appeals, commons, housing, local government, news, Supreme Court by sally

‘The latest in a series of village green cases to reach the Supreme Court will be heard next week by a five-judge panel led by Lord Neuberger.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th March 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

P (by his litigation friend the Official Solicitor) (Appellant) v Cheshire West and Chester Council and another (Respondents); P and Q (by their litigation friend, the Official Solicitor) (Appellants) v Surrey County Council (Respondent) – Supreme Court

P (by his litigation friend the Official Solicitor) (Appellant) v Cheshire West and Chester Council and another (Respondents); P and Q (by their litigation friend, the Official Solicitor) (Appellants) v Surrey County Council (Respondent) [2014] UKSC 19 (YouTube)

Supreme Court, 19th March 2014

Source: www.youtube.com/user/UKSupremeCourt

Surrey County Council v P and others (Equality and Human Rights Commission and others intervening); Cheshire West and Chester Council v P and another (Same intervening) – WLR Daily

Surrey County Council v P and others (Equality and Human Rights Commission and others intervening); Cheshire West and Chester Council v P and another (Same intervening) [2014] UKSC 19; [2014] WLR (D) 140

‘Mentally incapacitated persons had the same rights to liberty as everyone else, and if their living arrangements would amount to a deprivation of liberty of a capacitous person they were also a deprivation of liberty of the incapacitated person, who was therefore entitled to periodic independent checks to ensure that the deprivation of liberty remained justified in his or her best interests.’

WLR Daily, 19th March 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Deprivation of Liberty Defined by the Supreme Court: a difference of views concerning deprivation of liberty of disabled persons – Garden Court Chambers Blog

‘Tim Baldwin comments on today’s Supreme Court judgment regarding the deprivation of liberty of people with disabilities.

This note concerns the case of P (by his litigation friend the Official Solicitor) (Appellant) v Cheshire West and Chester Council and another (Respondents); P and Q (by their litigation friend, the Official Solicitor)(Appellants) v Surrey County Council (Respondent) [2014] UKSC 19 handed down on the 19 March 2014.’

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Garden Court Chambers Blog, 19th March 2014

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Room use and Uratemp – NearlyLegal

Posted March 18th, 2014 in appeals, benefits, disabled persons, housing, news, social security by sally

‘A successful FTT bedroom tax appeal in Birkenhead has raised some new questions over ‘room use’ as an argument.’

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NearlyLegal, 17th March 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Why the human rights challenge to the ‘bedroom tax’ failed – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted March 18th, 2014 in appeals, benefits, disabled persons, housing, human rights, news, social security by sally

‘Desmond Rutledge examines why the Court of Appeal in MA and Others refused to apply the reasoning in Burnip to disabled adults in the social sector who need an extra bedroom.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 17th March 2014

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Regina (Alansi) v Newham London Borough Council – WLR Daily

Regina (Alansi) v Newham London Borough Council: [2013] EWHC 3722 (Admin);   [2014] WLR (D)  117

‘The court’s approach to the interpretation of statements made by public bodies that were said to give rise to a legitimate expectation required it, inter alia, to ascertain the meaning which the authority’s statements would reasonably convey to the claimant in the light of all the background knowledge which he/she had in the situation in which she was at the time that the statements were made.’

WLR Daily, 27th November 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Mohamoud v Birmingham City Council – WLR Daily

Posted March 12th, 2014 in appeals, homelessness, housing, law reports, local government, statutory duty by sally

Mohamoud v Birmingham City Council: [2014] EWCA Civ 227;   [2014] WLR (D)  119

‘The principle that a person conducting a review of a local housing authority’s decision as to what (if any) duty to provide accommodation it owed under section 193 of the Housing Act 1996 to an applicant could look at new matters to determine whether there was a “deficiency” in the decision for the purposes of regulation 8(2) of the Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Review Procedures) Regulations 1999 was not confined to points which the applicant could not have taken at the outset.’

WLR Daily, 7th March 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

The prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act 2013: What will it do? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted March 10th, 2014 in fraud, housing, landlord & tenant, local government, news by sally

‘This presentation considers the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act (―the Act‖), which came into force on 15 October 2013, from a practical perspective. A brief background to the Act will be set out below at paragraphs 3 to 7 along with the intended effects. There will then follow an examination of the provisions of the Act and an evaluation of its likely future impact and use, particularly on and by local authorities and housing associations.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 28th February 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Basically, we are all… – NearlyLegal

‘Associated Electrical Industries Ltd v Alstom UK [2014] EWHC 430 is the latest case to be handed down in the post Jackson/Mitchell dystopian legal world.’

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NearlyLegal, 4th March 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

The Law Commission’s Report on Matrimonial Property, Needs and Agreements – Family Law Week

‘Spencer Clarke, Lawyer in the Property, Family and Trust Law Team at the Law Commission considers the Key recommendations of the Law Commision’s Report on Matrimonial, Property, Needs and Agreements.’

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Family Law Week, 27th February 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Cap on housing benefit is lawful, says Court of Appeal – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Court of Appeal has rejected on all grounds a claim that the cap on housing benefit amounted to unlawful discrimination against women.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 26th February 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judge rejects bedroom tax unlawfully discriminates against disabled – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 24th, 2014 in benefits, disability discrimination, disabled persons, housing, news by sally

‘Judge rejects accusations that the so-called ”bedroom tax” unlawfully discriminates against the disabled.’

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Daily Telegraph, 21st February 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Bedrooms and a family home – NearlyLegal

Posted February 19th, 2014 in appeals, benefits, children, families, housing, human rights, local government, news, tribunals by sally

‘A new First Tier Tribunal bedroom tax appeal decision from Liverpool, again a successful one, and this time on wholly new grounds.’

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NearlyLegal, 18th February 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Judge orders fresh decision over property and care home fee payment – Local Government Lawyer

Posted February 18th, 2014 in care homes, elderly, fees, housing, local government, news by sally

‘A claimant has successfully challenged a council’s decision to uphold its reversal of a previous decision to disregard a property owned by her mother in calculating the mother’s ability to pay care home fees.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 17th February 2014

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Discharge of duty by helping eviction – NearlyLegal

Posted February 18th, 2014 in appeals, housing, judicial review, local government, news by sally

‘This sounds like a rather odd case, noted on the Garden Court bulletin. It is a refusal to grant permission for Judicial Review of a Council’s refusal to carry out a review of the method it had decided upon to discharge its full housing duty.’

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NearlyLegal, 17th February 2014

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

When is a bedroom not a bedroom? – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted February 14th, 2014 in benefits, disabled persons, housing, news by sally

‘Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, could be forgiven for thinking that 2014 is not shaping up to be a great year for him. In the last month, the list of tribunal decisions freeing tenants from the so-called bedroom tax has been growing ever larger.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 12th February 2014

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

High Court upholds permission for 200 York homes – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 14th, 2014 in appeals, housing, local government, news, planning by sally

‘A planning inspector’s decision to grant planning permission for a residential development with no affordable housing to prevent a delay in the contribution the development would make to the local authority’s housing land supply was rational and supported by sufficient reasons, a High Court judge has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 13th February 2014

Source: www.out-law.com