Gypsy and Traveller Law, second edition

Thursday 13 December 2007

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Gypsy and Traveller Law brings together the areas of law affecting the travelling community. It is the only guide to cover accommodation needs such as planning, site provision, homelessness and eviction as well as other issues impacting on the day to day lives of Gypsies and Travellers such as education, healthcare and race discrimination.

Full Price: £30

Edition: Second (September 2007) 592pp

'It was a real pleasure to be asked to contribute a foreword to this Handbook on Gypsy and Traveller law, and thus to have the chance to congratulate the authors on their comprehensive coverage of this increasingly important subject. This second edition will be an essential reference, not only for legal practitioners, but for local authority officials, citizens advice bureaux, Gypsy and Traveller activists, councillors and members of Parliament.' Lord Avebury.

'I take great pleasure in commending this book, which for the first time draws together all of the legislation and case-law relating to Gypsies and Travellers. I hope that this book will empower people to secure their rights and enable those representing them both to provide effective advice on existing laws and bring improvements to the laws themselves.' Trevor Phillips, chair of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR), on the first edition.

The Gypsy and Traveller communities in the UK experience widespread deprivation, social exclusion and discrimination. The lack of provision of suitable sites for Gypsies and Travellers is the root cause of most, if not all, of the difficulties that they face living in Great Britain today.

There is now a new legal framework and new policy designed to address the severe shortage of sites. Local authorities now have a duty to assess the need for Gypsy and Traveller sites in their area and to allocate land which will meet the need identified. However, it is likely that it will take a considerable length of time for that exercise to be completed and, meanwhile, rented site provision remains in short supply and Gypsies and Travellers continue to be frustrated in their attempts to develop sites for themselves.

Gypsy and Traveller Law balances straightforward, practical advice with comprehensive coverage of the statutes, regulations, guidance, circulars and a rapidly developing body of case-law.

This fully updated second edition includes:

  • a new section on non-local authority rented Gypsy and Traveller sites;
  • significant human rights law developments, including analysis of the impact of the decisions in Connors v UK and Price v Leeds City Council;
  • the latest developments on the question of security of tenure on official local authority sites;
  • new government guidance on the grant of planning permission, the provision of sites and their management;
  • up-to-date case-law on the enforcement of planning control;
  • the changes introduced by the Equality Act 2006 and the creation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

This is the key reference work for lawyers and advisers working with Gypsies and Travellers and an essential guide for local authorities on their duties to the travelling community and the social and legal implications of failure to fulfil these obligations. Gypsy and Traveller Law also aims to empower Gypsies and Travellers to secure their rights and challenge injustice.

Editors and contributors:

Chris Johnson is a solicitor and partner in Community Law Partnership in Birmingham, and leader of the Travellers Advice Team at the firm.

Marc Willers is a barrister at Garden Court Chambers in London, specialising in public law, human rights, and planning law, with a particular emphasis on the representation of Gypsies and Travellers.

Contributing authors: Sasha Barton, Sharon Baxter, Stephen Cottle, Murray Hunt, Tim Jones, Angus Murdoch and David Watkinson.

This book may be purchased from LAG using the link below and the first chapter may be donwloaded for personal review (GFSR.pdf, 112k)

 

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