Mayfair squatters granted extension in court battle against landlord – The Guardian

Posted May 27th, 2015 in fire, firearms, homelessness, human rights, news, repossession, squatting by sally

‘About 40 homeless people squatting in an empty building in one of London’s most upmarket areas have won the first round of a legal fight with a landlord.’

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The Guardian, 26th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Regina (Best) v Chief Land Registrar – WLR Daily

Posted May 22nd, 2014 in adverse possession, crime, land registration, law reports, squatting by sally

Regina (Best) v Chief Land Registrar [2014] EWHC 1370 (Admin); [2014] WLR (D) 211

‘The criminalisation of people who were trespassers through living in a relevant residential building by pursuant to section 144(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 had not prevented time running for applications for registration of title by adverse possession.’

WLR Daily, 7th May 2014

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Of Superglue and Residence – NearlyLegal

Posted November 7th, 2013 in evidence, housing, news, retrials, squatting, trespass by tracey

“A prosecution under s.144 LASPO that came unstuck.”

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NearlyLegal, 5th November 2013

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Legal proceedings begin against travellers occupying NHS car park – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 23rd, 2013 in hospitals, news, repossession, squatting, travellers by tracey

“Legal proceedings start against a group of French travellers occupying a hospital car park in Newport, south Wales.”

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Daily Telegraph, 22nd October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Towcester property swindle couple jailed – BBC News

Posted October 21st, 2013 in fraud, news, sentencing, squatting by sally

“A married couple from Northamptonshire who posed as wealthy high fliers have been jailed for a multi-million pound property swindle.”

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BBC News, 18th October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

No more squatters rights: 69 prosecuted in first year that new law came into effect, CPS data reveals – The Independent

Posted September 2nd, 2013 in news, prosecutions, sentencing, squatting, statistics by sally

“Almost 70 suspected squatters have been brought before the courts in the year since it became a crime, figures show.”

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The Independent, 1st September 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Guerilla gardening in unlawfully occupied property did not give rise to Article 8 rights – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 9th, 2013 in appeals, human rights, news, repossession, squatting, trespass by sally

“A common law rule that the court had no jurisdiction to extend time to a trespasser could no longer stand against the Article 8 requirement that a trespasser be given some time before being required to vacate.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 8th July 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

McFail – NearlyLegal

“This was a case that was potentially important for establishing whether Article 8 defences could be run by private tenants, or by licencees and occupiers of private land. Despite Sir Alan Ward’s opening, the case falls short of being that, as we shall see.”

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NearlyLegal, 7th July 2013

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Human Rights legislation is not a “licence to squat”, expert says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 5th, 2013 in appeals, human rights, news, repossession, squatting by tracey

“A landowner’s right to recover possession of his property does not infringe the human rights of squatters, the Court of Appeal has ruled.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th July 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Englishman’s home no longer his castle, says senior judge – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 4th, 2013 in housing, human rights, news, repossession, squatting by sally

“Not all squatters are bad, a senior judge has said, as he suggested an Englishman’s home is no longer his castle.”

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Daily Telegraph, 3rd July 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

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Six months, no jail sentences: call for controversial squatter law to be axed – The Independent

Posted March 25th, 2013 in homelessness, legislation, news, sentencing, squatting, statistics by sally

“Six months after new laws were introduced to ‘protect homeowners’ from squatters, police have not arrested a single person for displacing residents from their home, leading to calls for the legislation to be scrapped.”

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The Independent, 24th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Barnet library squatters to be evicted, judge rules – The Guardian

Posted December 19th, 2012 in budgets, demonstrations, libraries, news, squatting by sally

“Squatters who have occupied a north London library for more than three months with the blessing of the local community are to be evicted, a judge has ruled. However, the court recognised their right to protest and the illegal tenants have been given a six-week stay of execution before they will be moved on.”

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The Guardian, 18th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Squatters are not home stealers’ – The Guardian

Posted December 4th, 2012 in housing, news, squatting by sally

“On 26 September, Alex Haigh became the first person to be jailed under section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act. His crime was one of which countless thousands of people could now be guilty: squatting. A 21-year-old from Plymouth, Haigh was arrested for living in a house in Pimlico that had been empty for over a year. He had come to London seeking work as a bricklayer; now he has a criminal record.”

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The Guardian, 3rd December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Changes to squatting laws should be extended to commercial property, expert says – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 8th, 2012 in crime, news, squatting by sally

“An increase in the number of cases of squatting in commercial premises was the ‘inevitable consequence’ of a change in the law to criminalise the practice in residential property, an expert has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th November 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

London squatter first to be jailed under new law – BBC News

Posted September 28th, 2012 in news, sentencing, squatting by tracey

“A 21-year-old man squatting in a London property has become the first person to be jailed under a new law.”

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BBC News, 27th September 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tilting at Windmills – The “New” Offence of Squatting in a Residential Building – Zenith Chambers

Posted September 17th, 2012 in crime, news, squatting by sally

“The provisions of s. 144 Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 ‘create’ the offence, punishable by a fine on summary conviction or a maximum of 51 weeks in prison, of squatting in a residential building. This has resulted in a Government Circular (2012/04) explaining the offence and its ambit, issued on 22nd August 2012 and implemented on 1st September 2012. This article does not propose to comment on the perceived political or social imperative for creating yet another summary criminal offence, but rather the purpose, effect and guidance given by the government in investigating and prosecuting the offence.”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 10th September 2012

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Local Government Law Update – 11 KBW

Local Government Law Update: 28 August (PDF)

11 KBW, 28th August 2012

Source: www.11kbw.com

Police arrest three for squatting in Brighton property – The Guardian

Posted September 5th, 2012 in news, squatting by sally

“Three men were arrested on Monday after a police raid on a property in Brighton – in what is believed to be the first test of new legislation that makes squatting a criminal offence.”

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The Guardian, 4th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law criminalising squatting to be challenged in court by cottage dweller – The Guardian

Posted September 3rd, 2012 in Crown Prosecution Service, homelessness, news, police, squatting by tracey

“Irene Gardiner bringing case against Crown Prosecution Service and police over law change that could make her homeless.”

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The Guardian, 31st August 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Squatting: The MoJ Guide – Nearly-Legal

Posted August 31st, 2012 in landlord & tenant, news, squatting by tracey

“With the new legislation criminalising squatting due to come into force at the weekend (presumably to catch out those sunday morning squatters!) the Ministry of Justice has issued a circular to Judges, Courts, and the Police.”

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NearlyLegal, 31st August 2012

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk/blog