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Home »  Practice Areas »  Housing

Housing

A dedicated, professional team of experts

Garden Court Chambers has one of the largest specialist housing law teams in the country and a reputation for excellence in this area. We cover all aspects of housing law including security of tenure, unlawful eviction, homelessness, allocation of social housing, disrepair and housing benefit. We’re particularly committed to representing tenants, other occupiers and homeless people.

We also advise on other issues related to housing : Gypsies and Travellers; disability issues; welfare benefits; ASBOs and ASBIs; community care; unfair terms in tenancy agreements; general town and country planning matters; grants; licensing of houses in multiple occupation; housing standards; and the housing health and safety rating system. We represent squatters.

The team advises on the full range of accommodation and support issues concerning migrant welfare and asylum support. We are able to offer a complete service in NASS, Social Services, homelessness and connected Children Act matters.

A housing case can include aspects of immigration, family law, welfare benefits, disability, and criminal law. Thanks to our multidisciplinary approach, we can draw on the wisdom and experience of our colleagues in chambers who specialise in these areas.

The housing law team provides a full service, covering cases from the lowest to the highest courts, as well as undertaking advisory work.

Garden Court Chambers is considered by sources to be one of the best applicant sets in the country for housing. The 16-strong specialist housing team in London covers all areas of the subject and contains some excellent practitioners. Chambers and Partners 2007

Our work isn’t confined to the courtroom. We also spend time training, advising and writing on housing issues. We were the first chambers to serve as an LSC Specialist Support Service provider in Housing Law, and since 2004 we’ve been offering specialist support and training under contract direct from the Legal Services Commission.

We regularly contribute articles and case reports to professional publications such as Legal Action, All England Legal Opinion, Solicitors Journal, Landlord and Tenant Review and New Law Journal.

We have also written or co-written the authoritative books: Defending Possession Proceedings (LAG); Repairs: Tenants' Rights (LAG); Remedies for Disrepair and Other Building Defects (Sweet & Maxwell), The Housing Act 2004 and Support for Asylum Seekers (LAG). We have also written Housing Allocation and Homelessness (Jordans), The Homelessness Act 2002: A Special Bulletin (Jordans) and Housing and the Human Rights Act: A Special Bulletin (Jordans).

Over many years, we have supported the HLPA (Housing Law Practitioners' Association) as both ordinary and executive members, and by giving talks and attending meetings. We have also taken part in numerous training courses provided by or in association with the Legal Action Group, the Law Society, Liberty and others. We are proud of the professional, approachable and up-to-date housing law service that we provide.

Notable cases

We have taken part in many of the leading housing cases of recent years. A brief selection of recent reported cases from the House of Lords and Court of Appeal in which members of the team appeared includes:

Birmingham City Council v Paul Walker [2007] UKHL 22.

Price v Leeds City Council and Kay v Lambeth LBC [2006] UKHL 10; [2006] 2 WLR 570

Kay v Lambeth LBC and London & Quadrant Housing Trust [2006] UKHL 10

Birmingham City Council v Walker [2006] EWCA Civ 815

Conville (R on the application of) v London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames [2006] EWCA Civ 718

Bristol City Council v Hasan & Anor [2006] EWCA Civ 656

R (M) v Slough BC [2006] EWCA Civ 655

Barnet LBC v Ismail and Abdi [2006] EWCA Civ 383

Regina v. Secretary of State for the Home Department ex parte Limbuela (FC) (2005).

Al-Ameri v Kensington & Chelsea RLBC [2004] 2 AC 159, HL

Council of the City of Manchester v Romano (Sharon):Council of the City of Manchester v Samari (Yvonne) (2004) [2004] EWCA Civ 834

London Borough of Newham v Khatun (2) Zeb (3) Iqbal & The Office of Fair Trading (Interested Party) [2004] EWCA Civ 55

Michalak v Wandsworth London Borough Council [2003] 1 WLR 617

Qazi v Harrow London Borough Council [2003] 3 WLR 792

South Buckinghamshire District Council v Porter [2003] 2 AC 558

R (on the application of Q) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2003] 2 All ER 905

R (on the application of T) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2003] EWCA Civ 1285 (previously R (on the application S, D & T) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2003] EWHC 1941 Admin)

R (on the application of W) v Lambeth London Borough Council [2002] 2 All ER 901

Donoghue v Poplar Housing Action & Regeneration Community Association [2002] QB 48

Gallagher v Castle Vale Housing Action Trust [2001] 33 HLR 72

Housing Clerks

If you would like more information about our housing team email the clerks civilclerks@gclaw.co.uk


or call us on 020 7993 7600

The team

Members of the Housing team are listed below - click on their names to go to their profiles.

David Watkinson

1972

davidw@gclaw.co.uk

Jan Luba QC

1980

janl@gclaw.co.uk

Stephen Cottle

1984

stephenc@gclaw.co.uk

Beatrice Prevatt

1985

beatricep@gclaw.co.uk

Marc Willers

1987

marcw@gclaw.co.uk

Bethan Harris

1990

bethanh@gclaw.co.uk

Edward Fitzpatrick

1990

edwardf@gclaw.co.uk

Rajeev Thacker

1993

rajeevt@gclaw.co.uk

Stephen Knafler

1993

stephenk@gclaw.co.uk

Liz Davies

1994

lizd@gclaw.co.uk

Michael Paget

1995

michaelp@gclaw.co.uk

Adrian Marshall Williams

1998

adrianmw@gclaw.co.uk

Adrian Berry

1998

adrianb@gclaw.co.uk

Catherine O'Donnell

2000

catherineod@gclaw.co.uk

Marina Sergides

2000

marinas@gclaw.co.uk

Desmond Rutledge

2001

desmondr@gclaw.co.uk

Tim Baldwin

2001

timothyb@gclaw.co.uk

Maya Naidoo

2002

mayan@gclaw.co.uk

John Beckley

2003

johnb@gclaw.co.uk

Andrew Eaton

2004

andrewe@gclaw.co.uk

Stephen Marsh

2005

stephenm@gclaw.co.uk

GARDEN COURT CHAMBERS, 57- 60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LS
Telephone: 020 7993 7600, Fax 020 7993 7700 | info@gclaw.co.uk
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Garden Court Chambers, 57- 60 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LS
Telephone: 020 7993 7600 / Fax 020 7993 7700 / Email: info@gclaw.co.uk

© 2008 Garden Court Chambers