Sadiq Khan to ‘significantly increase’ stop and search in London – The Independent

Posted January 11th, 2018 in crime prevention, investigatory powers, London, news, police, stop and search by tracey

‘There will be a “significant increase” in targeted stop and searches by police in London as part of efforts to combat rising violent crime, Sadiq Khan has said.’

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The Independent, 10th January 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rise in victims reporting sexual offences to the Met – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2017 in crime, London, news, prosecutions, rape, sexual offences, victims by sally

‘The number of sexual assault victims recorded by the Met Police has gone up by more than 7,000 in the last four years, new figures show.’

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BBC News, 18th December 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Uber begins appeal against London license ban – The Independent

Posted December 11th, 2017 in appeals, licensing, London, news, taxis by sally

‘Uber will defend its right to operate in London in a court hearing on Monday after the app was deemed unfit to run a taxi service and stripped of its licence in its most important European market.’

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The Independent, 11th December 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Human rights commission to launch its own Grenfell fire inquiry – The Guardian

‘Britain’s human rights watchdog is to launch an inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire that will examine whether the government and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea failed in their duties to protect life and provide safe housing.’

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The Guardian, 9th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

London borough fined £100,000 after social workers assaulted – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 6th, 2017 in fines, health & safety, local government, London, news, social services, violence by sally

‘A local authority has been fined £100,000 after two of its social workers were assaulted on a home visit by the mother of a vulnerable child they were visiting.’

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Local Government Lawyer, December 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court rejects call by council for pensions set-off from officer convicted of fraud – Local Government Lawyer

‘The High Court has rejected a London borough’s bid to set off the pension benefits of a former senior finance officer who defrauded the council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th November 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

English courts committed to high-quality commercial litigation throughout the country, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

‘Comments around the launch of the Business and Property Courts (BPC) underline the judicial service’s commitment to high-quality commercial litigation regardless of where a case is filed in England and Wales, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 23rd November 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Intentional Homelessness: Whether 2-Years Renting Amounted to Settled Accommodation – Garden Court Chambers

‘In November 2010 the appellant, Mr Doka, was evicted from his home at Laburnam Close in South East London on the basis of rent arrears. His former employer, Mr Theobald, subsequently allowed him to stay in his home in Dartford. The arrangement was initially meant to be a temporary one. But after a few weeks the arrangement was put on a more stable footing, with Mr Theobald agreeing to provide what he described as ‘full-time accommodation’, allowing Mr Doka to sleep in his son’s bedroom (while his son was away at University) for £500 a month. Mr Theobald told Mr Doka that he could live there for two-three years, while his son finished at University, though Mr Doka would be required to stay with friend’s on occasion if Mr Theobald’s son returned and needed the use of the room.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 10th November 2017

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Met police still failing on child protection policies, report finds – The Guardian

Posted November 24th, 2017 in child abuse, London, news, police, reports by tracey

‘The Metropolitan police failed to adequately improve the way they followed child protection policies, despite repeatedly being told they were leaving children in danger, an official report found.’

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The Guardian, 24th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Significantly More Vulnerable’: The Court of Appeal Explains – Garden Court Chambers

‘At [53] of Hotak v Southwark LBC [2015] UKSC 30, [2016] AC 811, Lord Neuberger explained that whether or not a homeless applicant was ‘vulnerable’ within the meaning of s189(1)(c) Housing Act 1996 required consideration of whether he or she would be ‘significantly more vulnerable than ordinarily vulnerable’ as a result of being rendered homeless. In the conjoined appeals of Panayiotou and Smith, the Court of Appeal considered the meaning of the word ‘significantly’ in this context as well as a number of issues relating to the contracting out of homelessness decision making in instances where the public sector equality duty under s149 Equality Act 2010 is engaged.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 10th November 2017

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Ordinary Residence – Whether Duty Arose Under 21 National Assistance Act 1948 – s. 21 A Duty of Last Resort (A Pre-Care Act 2014 Case) – Garden Court Chambers

‘This case was decided on the basis of the legal regime now replaced by the Care Act 2014 (in force since 1 April 2015).’

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Garden Court Chambers, 10th November 2017

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Homelessness Update – Doughty Street Chambers

‘Annual Review of Developments in Homelessness Law presentation slides.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 17th November 2017

Source: www.doughtystreet.co.uk

Commercial property: Restrictive covenants – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 22nd, 2017 in insurance, local government, London, news, planning, restrictive covenants, tribunals by sally

‘There are few cases so iconic that lawyers remember the names long after university or law school. One is Tulk v Moxhay [1848], the case on the restrictive covenants which have prevented building on Leicester Square. The date of that case demonstrates that well-drafted restrictive covenants on land are an effective way of controlling development of land indefinitely. However, not all restrictions are worthy of preservation, so the Law of Property Act 1925 contains in section 84 a mechanism for the release of land from restrictive covenants in certain circumstances.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 20th November 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court of Appeal rejects challenge over power to close parks for festivals – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Court of Appeal has rejected an attempt to stop London boroughs holding large music festivals in public parks, setting up a potential Supreme Court challenge.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st November 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Close dangerous fire safety loophole, London Fire Brigade says in wake of Grenfell disaster – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 13th, 2017 in building law, fire, fire services, health & safety, London, news by tracey

‘A fire safety loophole means “dangerous decisions” are being made about building design that could lead to more serious blazes, the London Fire Brigade has warned.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Met Police holding children in custody for too long, says prison watchdog – The Independent

Posted November 9th, 2017 in children, custody, London, news, police, young offenders by tracey

‘Children are being held for too long in police custody once they are charged with an offence, the prison watchdog has warned. A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary found that too many children in north and north-east London were being kept in cells overnight and even at weekends, despite a statutory duty for authorities to provide them with alternative accommodation.’

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The Independent, 8th November 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Employee wins partial victory on harassment in pot plant case – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Westminster City Council employee has won a partial victory at an employment tribunal in a case that arose over a disputed pot plant.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th November 2017

Source: localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Black cab shape not distinctive enough to be trademark, say judges – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2017 in appeals, London, news, taxis by tracey

‘New-style taxis could soon roll on to city roads after court of appeal judges ruled that the shape of the traditional London black cab was not distinctive enough to be a trademark.’

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The Guardian, 1st November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

How long has this been going on? – settled accommodation – Nearly Legal

‘The issue in this second appeal was what amounts to ‘settled accommodation’, sufficient to break the chain of causation of intentional homelessness.’

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Nearly Legal, 29th October 2017

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

High Court hears judicial review challenge over £2bn development vehicle – Local Government Lawyer

‘The High Court has this week begun hearing a judicial review challenge to the London Borough of Haringey’s decision to establish the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV), which is said to be the largest local authority development vehicle of its kind.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th October 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk