In Camden LBC v Foxtons Ltd [2017] UKUT 349 (AAC) the Council successfully appealed to the Upper Tribunal (Judge Levenson) against Foxtons, Estate Agents, using the term “administration fees” in their letting agencies work. This was (paragraph 25) a breach of Section 84(3)(c) of the Consumer Credit Act 2015. The wording did not provide a description of each fee that was sufficient to enable a person who is liable to pay to understand the service or cost that is covered by the fee or the purpose for which it is imposed.
Disqualifying Criteria
September 19th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in StandardsOn 18 September 2017 CLG issued a public Consultation Paper, for response by 8 December 2017, on proposals for updating prospectively the Local Government Act 1972 Section 80 and other criteria disqualifying individuals from being elected, or holding office, as a local authority member or co-opted member or directly elected mayor or member of the London Assembly. Anyone given an Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction or a Criminal Behaviour Order under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, or added to the Sex Offenders’ Register under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, would no longer be able to hold office. Those subject to a Sexual Risk Order would not be disqualified.
Avoiding Service Disruption
September 7th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in Decision making and ContractsThe best possible service to the public, without disruption, and with minimal risk to service recipients, is a factor in favour of allowing a public contract award to be implemented. In Sysmex (UK) Ltd v Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust [2017] EWHC 1824 (TCC) Coulson J was concerned with a procurement challenge to the Trust’s award of a managed services contract (“the MSC”) in respect of pathology services. Read more »
Homelessness
August 18th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in HousingProtection from eviction legislation applies when accommodation is occupied “as a dwelling”. When an applicant for homelessness assistance is being housed by a local authority pursuant to its interim housing duty the occupation of the premises provided is not occupation “as a dwelling”. However, as has been held in Dacorum Borough Council v Bugnall (2017) EWHC 2094 (QB), once the (same) accommodation comes to be provided (even temporarily) in fulfilment of the full housing duty it becomes occupied “as a dwelling”.
Suspension
August 16th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in Decision making and ContractsAgoreyo v Lambeth LBC (2017) EWHC (2019) QB reaffirms that suspension ( of a teacher ) is not a ” neutral act ” ( para 24 ) and should not be considered a routine response to the need for an investigation ( para 27 ) and that alternatives must be considered ( para 29 ).
Highways
August 16th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in Environment, Highways and LeisureIn Sheffield City Council v Fairhall and others ( 2017 ) EWHC 2121 ( QB ) Males J granted the City Council an injunction to restrain direct action against highway tree removal. The tree removal was for the purpose of highway maintenance and was lawful. Objectors maintaining a presence in a safety zone after barriers had been erected and a notice had been displayed were committing a trespass.
ECHR Articles 8 & 10
August 9th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in Human Rights and Public Sector Equality DutyIn Southend Borough Council v CO (2017) EWHC 1949 (Fam) the Court held that the parents of children of children who had been removed into care were not obliged to delete an online Petition to Parliament protesting against the Court Orders. Given that there was no sufficient evidence that the Petition risked adversely impacting the children’s placements or causing them emotional harm, the children’s limited Article 8 rights were outweighed by the parents’ Article 10 rights. Parents have an important right to speak out against public authority intervention in their family where they consider that the intervention is unjust irrespective of the merits of the parents’ views.
PSED
August 9th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in Human Rights and Public Sector Equality DutyThe PSED is not triggered by a reformulation of policy, as distinct from a change of policy : Miyanji v SSHD (2017) EWHC 1939 (QB).
Meaning of “Highway”
August 7th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in Environment, Highways and LeisureIn Southwark LBC v Transport for London (2017) EWCA Civ 1220 the Court of Appeal applied the common law meaning of “highway” as only the road surface and “the top two spits” of subsoil necessary to use as a highway, and not the entire vertical interest in the land on which the highway runs.
Employment Contract
August 7th, 2017 by James Goudie KC in Decision making and ContractsIn Dudley MBC v Willetts, UKEAT/0334/16/JOJ, the President of the EAT, Simler J, held that payment for voluntary overtime which is regularly worked is normal remuneration for the purposes of calculating holiday pay notwithstanding that there is no obligation in the employment contract itself to perform the work.