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Public, Local Government & Environmental

The Public and Local Government group has extensive experience of challenging and defending a wide range of decisions by public bodies, regulatory prosecutions brought by local authorities and advisory work across the whole field of public, local government and environmental law. Members of the group have appeared in a number of recent high profile cases, in particular cases involving Human Rights.

They have recently been involved in litigation and the provision of advice relating to the following areas:

• Homelessness
• Housing
• Housing Associations
• Anti-Social Behaviour
• Children and Families
• Community Care
• Mental Health
• Education
• Welfare Benefits
• Discrimination
• Asylum Support
• Human Rights and Civil Liberties
• Environmental Law
• Planning Applications
• Licensing
• Public procurement
• Internal Complaints and Disciplinary procedures
• General Local Authority Administration
• Judicial Review and statutory appeals

Our recent cases in this area include:

Marcic v Thames Water Utilities Ltd [2004] 2 AC 42 (Discharge of sewage and breach of Article 8)
LB Newham v Kibata [2004] 1 FLR 690 (Eviction and Article 8)
Re V (Care Proceedings: Human Rights Claims) [2004] 1 FLR 944 (Human Rights claims in care proceedings)
In re S (A Child) (Identification: Restrictions on Publication) [2005] 1 AC 593 (Right to private life)
Re V (Care: Pre-Birth Actions) [2005] 1 FLR 627 (Damages under Human Rights Act 1998)
Mid Bedfordshire DC v Brown [2005] 1 WLR 1460 (Travellers; breach of planning controls)
R(Morris) v Westminster CC & First SoS [2006] 1 WLR 505 (Housing discrimination contrary to Article 14)
In re G (A minor)(Interim Contact Order: Residential Assessment) [2006] 1 AC 576 (Local authorities’ duties to fund residential assessment)
Re K (Medical Treatment: Declaration) [2006] 2 FLR 883 (Withdrawal of medical treatment)
Haringey LBC v S [2007] 1 FLR 387 (Care proceedings and immigration)
Holmes-Moorhouse v LB Richmond upon Thames, the Times, 19 November 2007, (2008) BLGR 1(Right to two family-sized homes)

Chambers has been a market leader in relation to the negotiation of structured fee agreements with local authorities. Our clerks have extensive experience in tendering for and managing high volume local government work.