Reasonable costs of Improvements – Nearly Legal

‘We saw the Upper Tribunal take a new approach to determining whether the costs of improvement works, passed on through the service charge, were reasonably incurred. The UT held that particular consideration should have been given to the views of the leaseholders, whether they could be done more cheaply and the financial circumstances of the leaseholders.’

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Nearly Legal, 5th February 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Senior judge slams lawyers for obstructing Rochdale child sex grooming gang deportation case – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 6th, 2017 in child abuse, delay, deportation, immigration, judges, legal aid, news, sexual offences, tribunals by sally

‘Lawyers are helping a child sex grooming gang avoid attempts to deport them by obstructing the courts and “weakening the rule of law”, Britain’s most senior immigration judge has warned.’

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Daily Telegraph, 4th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK police force’s monitoring of reporters’ phones ruled unlawful – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2017 in investigatory powers, news, police, telecommunications, tribunals by tracey

‘Investigatory powers tribunal finds there was no lawful basis for Cleveland police accessing records in leak inquiry.’

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The Guardian, 31st January 2017

Source: www,guardian.co.uk

Perception of doors – Nearly Legal

‘The issue in this Upper Tribunal case was whether LB Southwark was entitled charge the leaseholders for works to replace communal doors and front entrance doors carried out during fire safety improvement works on the estate (some 10 block of flats).’

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Nearly Legal, 29th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Office sex dentistry lecturer struck off by General Dental Council – BBC News

Posted January 25th, 2017 in dentists, disciplinary procedures, news, professional conduct, tribunals by tracey

‘A dentistry lecturer who had sex in his office has been struck off the General Dental Council register.’

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BBC News, 24th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Senior judge launches extraordinary attack over “blackmail” by solicitors and tells barristers to stop defending them – Legal Futures

Posted January 17th, 2017 in barristers, blackmail, immigration, judges, law firms, news, professional conduct, tribunals by tracey

‘A senior judge has accused solicitors of “blackmailing” the immigration tribunal in an extraordinary attack that also branded their conduct as “disgraceful” and “shameful” in not pursuing the appeals they had lodged.’

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Legal Futures, 16th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Disciplinary round-up: fine for firm which failed to make client’s visa application and then lost his passport – Legal Futures

‘A north London law firm has been rebuked for misleading its client into thinking that it had made a visa application on his behalf.’

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Legal Futures, 13th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Immigration tribunal President blasts legal representatives in sex grooming gang appeal – Free Movement

‘President McCloskey has blasted the representatives for both claimants and the Home Office in his latest determination of Shabir Ahmed and others (sanctions for non – compliance) [2016] UKUT 00562 (IAC).’

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Free Movement, 13th January 2017

Source: www.freemovement.org.uk

Leases, tribunals and contractual costs – Nearly Legal

Posted January 10th, 2017 in costs, landlord & tenant, leases, news, service charges, tribunals by sally

‘The vexed issues of costs in service charge disputes rumble on. Willow Court Management Company (1985) Ltd v Alexander [2016] UKUT 0290 (LC) (our note) set out guidance for how and when rule 13 costs awards will be engaged and awarded in the First Tier Tribunal (for unreasonable conduct). But in this case, the landlord had been awarded 20% of their costs under a Rue 13 decision, but then sought to recover the full costs under a contractual entitlement to costs of an enforcement action under the lease, and sort the FTT’s determination of those as a variable administration charge.’

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Nearly Legal, 9th January 2017

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

New terms and conditions for judges will hinder diversity – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted December 20th, 2016 in consultations, diversity, judiciary, news, tribunals by tracey

‘Government proposals to increase the diversity of the judiciary and improve career prospects could be counter-productive, the Law Society warned today.’

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Law Society’s Gazette, 20th December 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Iraq War: Lawyer admits misconduct over Army abuse claims – BBC News

‘A human rights lawyer who brought murder and torture claims against UK troops has admitted misconduct charges.’

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BBC News, 8th December 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rather too certain to be uncertain – Nearly Legal

Posted December 9th, 2016 in appeals, contracts, council tax, landlord & tenant, news, tribunals, valuation by sally

‘This was Leeds’ second appeal of a Valuation Tribunal decision on council tax liability. We covered the first High Court appeal here. Full disclosure, I acted for the intervener in this second appeal, the Residential Landlords Association, with Justin Bates (or as it turns out, Bate) as counsel.’

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Nearly Legal, 8th December 2016

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Housing benefit – Local Government Law

Posted December 8th, 2016 in appeals, benefits, housing, local government, news, social security, tribunals by tracey

‘Housing benefit is “a means tested benefit provided under section 130 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and subordinate regulations”. Its “purpose is to help claimants with their rental costs”. There is “a prescribed mechanism for determining in each case the appropriate maximum housing benefit”.’

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Local Government Law, 5th December 2016

Source: www.11kbw.com/blogs/local-government-law

Tribunal: ‘public interest’ need for social housing justified breach of covenant – OUT-LAW.com

‘A tribunal has agreed to a property developer’s request to modify a restrictive covenant preventing the use of land for anything other than car parking, even though the developer had already built social housing on the land in breach of that covenant.’

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OUt-LAW.com, 6th December 2016

Source: www.out-law.com

Contractual indemnity clauses and costs of service charge proceedings in the First-Tier Tribunal – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted December 1st, 2016 in costs, indemnities, landlord & tenant, leases, news, tribunals by sally

‘A landlord may rely on a contractual indemnity clause in a lease to claim as an administration charge the whole of the costs of service charge proceedings in the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) even where it has already been awarded some of its costs under rule 13(1)(b) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013, as Martin Rodger QC, Deputy President, has held in 87 St George’s Square Management Ltd v Whiteside [2016] UKUT 438 (LC).’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 14th November 2016

Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk

Exclusive: High Court lambasts BSB for “seriously mishandling” disciplinary case – Legal Futures

Posted November 28th, 2016 in barristers, case management, disciplinary procedures, news, solicitors, tribunals by tracey

‘The High Court has overturned a disciplinary finding against a barrister after finding that the Bar Standards Board “seriously mishandled” the case.’

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Legal Futures, 28th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

In residence – New Law Journal

Posted November 22nd, 2016 in covenants, hotels, housing, leases, news, rent, tribunals by sally

‘Tamsin Cox & Julia Petrenko examine a useful authority for freeholders of residential buildings in relation to Airbnb.’

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New Law Journal, 18th November 2016

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

High Court: Time to consider lowering burden of proof in the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal – Legal Futures

‘It is time to consider lowering the burden of proof used by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) from the criminal to the civil standard, Sir Brian Leveson, the president of the Queen’s Bench Division has said.’

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Legal Futures, 11th November 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Tribunal rejects FOI request over code of conduct complaints process – Local Government Lawyer

‘It is important that a council’s code of conduct complaints process remains confidential, the First-tier Tribunal has said in rejecting an appeal over the refusal of a freedom of information request.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th November 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Chilcot, Blair and FOIA – Panopticon

Posted November 16th, 2016 in freedom of information, inquiries, Iraq, news, tribunals by sally

‘FOIA remains a potent tool for enhancing transparency on issues of great public importance. Two recent decisions – concerning the Chilcot Inquiry and the post-prime ministerial activities of Tony Blair – are good current illustrations.’

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Panopticon, 10th November 2016

Source: www.panopticonblog.com