Are you experienced and highly motivated? Newcastle City Council are hiring a Senior Solicitor/Team Manager - Children's Services (to £50,938; barrister or solicitor) and also Solicitors/Barristers x2 - Child Care (to £41,881; one x permanent, one x 12 month fixed term maternity cover).
New jobs on www.publiclawjobs.co.uk:
- Sharpe Pritchard: Public Law Litigation Solicitor and Energy Projects - Associate/Senior Associate. (£competitive).
- Hertfordshire: Commercial Lawyer (to £46,845 + one off £3,000 welcome payment + £2,500 market forces payment pa).
- Bromley: Senior Planning and Enforcement Lawyer (to £62,000), Senior Lawyer - Adults (to £60,000), Childcare Lawyer (to £42,029), Childcare Lawyer (to £42,029 pro rata; part time 21.75 hrs/wk) and Education Lawyer (to £42,029 pro rata; part time 21.75 hrs/wk);
- Hampshire: Senior Legal Adviser - Contracts & Procurement (to £46,776) and Legal Adviser - Commercial Contracts & Procurement (to £37,876).
- Guildford: Legal Specialist Lawyer - Litigation (to £48,133).
- Surrey: Legal Practice Support Officer (starting £21,943).
- Essex: Solicitor/Barrister/Legal Executive – Corporate and Commercial Team (to £47,000; full or part time).
- Shelter: Legal Adviser (£23,847; pro rata 22.5 hrs/wk; Norwich; fixed term contract until 3 June 2022).
- One Legal: Director (to £105,000).
- Pathfinder Legal Services: Lawyer/Senior Lawyer - Children's Social Care & Safeguarding (to £43,000 or £49,500).
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A blunder during software testing has led Swale Borough Council to issue five erroneous planning decisions which it must now overturn by judicial review. One applicant was told their application was rejected as being “proper whack” and another was granted permission to demolish a pub with the baffling comment “incy, wincy, spider”. |
LGSS Law becomes Pathfinder Legal Services with target of being “a national leader for local government law”
LGSS Law, the local authority-owned alternative business structure, has rebranded as Pathfinder Legal Services, with a view to “becoming a national leader for local government law”. |
Education Secretary and local authorities threatened with legal challenge over approach to vulnerable children and school attendance
The Good Law Project (GLP) has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, threatening legal action if he fails to issue guidance that protects vulnerable children and families as schools reopen. |
Local authority ordered to pay mother fleeing ex-partner £10k in compensation following data breach
Hampshire County Council should pay £10,000 in compensation after a mother who was fleeing her ex-partner had her address exposed in a data breach, Portsmouth Magistrates' Court has ruled. |
Council obtains injunction to prevent sale of Tudor overmantel from listed building
Stafford Borough Council has secured an injunction to stop a local auction house from selling a 16th century overmantel, thought to be worth a substantial sum. |
Judicial review applications have continued to fall in first half of 2021: Ministry of Justice
The number of judicial review applications received in the first half of 2021 was – at 1,200 – down 16% on the same period in 2020, government data has revealed. This follows a 16% fall in 2020, when there were 2,800 applications, compared to 2019 (3,400). |
Government issues consultation on reforms to data regime and information watchdog
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is consulting on a wide range of reforms including the introduction of a new governance model for the Information Commissioner's Office, removal of the existing requirements to designate a data protection officer, removal of the requirement for organisations to undertake a data protection impact assessment, and a change in the threshold for reporting a data breach. |
Government to extend fixed costs to most claims below £100,000
The government will extend the Fixed Recoverable Costs (FRC) regime to cover most fast track claims up to a value of £25,000 and expand the fast track to include most ‘intermediate’ money claims valued between £25,000 and £100,000, the Lord Chancellor Robert Jenrick has announced. |
Cabinet Office updates procurement policy note on reserving below threshold procurements
The Cabinet Office has updated its procurement policy note and guidance on reserving below threshold procurements to provide additional clarification on the application of the policy for other contracting authorities, reservations by supplier location and transparency requirements. |
District councils pursue s.113 agreement to continue sharing legal services and other officers following end of wider partnership
Two councils are considering entering into a section 113 agreement to share legal and other officers following the end of their shared management and joint working arrangement. |
Must-read: Placing children in Scotland
What do English local authorities need to know when placing a child in Scotland? Ellen Crofts and Lucia Clark explain. |
Book now: Ten good habits when dealing with commercial leases - IQ Legal Training - 22 September - 14:00-15:00.
Upcoming procurement events: Dealing with procedural change - Delta Talks - 14 September - 11:00-12:00. See also: Driving transparent procurement - Delta Talks - 12 October - 14:00-15:00. |
Senior roles - boost your career: Bi-borough Shared Legal Service for Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea is recruiting a Senior Solicitor - Commercial, Contract & Procurement (to £67,900). Closing: 12 September.
Apply today:
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County council and Home Office threatened with judicial review over placement of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in unregulated accommodation
Kent County Council has announced it will begin to admit unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) into its reception centres again amid the lodging of a judicial review application against the local authority and the Home Office over the issue of placing them in unregulated accommodation. Charity Detention Action is seeking to bring Kent and the Home Office to court over the practice of housing UASC in unregulated hotel accommodation. |
West Midlands councils eye legal challenge over distribution of Afghan refugees
West Midlands councils are reported to be considering taking the Government to judicial review over the distribution of Afghan refugees. |
Consultation launched on making permanent outdoor measures introduced to support high streets and hospitality businesses
The Government has launched a consultation on making permanent two time-limited permitted development rights introduced during the pandemic to boost high streets and hospitality businesses |
First Tier Tribunal wrongly struck out landlord penalty appeal after solicitor failed to pay hearing fee, Upper Tribunal rules
A private landlord will have her appeal of a £7,000 penalty for failure to license a house in multiple occupation (HMO) decided by a different judge after it was initially refused by the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) because her solicitor failed to pay the hearing fee on time, the Upper Tribunal has ruled. |
Anthony Collins bolsters Manchester office with housing partner hire
Anthony Collins Solicitors has appointed housing specialist Thomas Starkey as a partner as part of its effort to boost its presence in the North West. |
Must-read: Another month, another immunity case. Another question ducked by the court?
Roderick Morton analyses an appeal against a decision of a planning inspector to dismiss the appellant's appeal against an enforcement notice issued by a council in respect of the unauthorised conversion of a property into two flats. |
| Last call: Stafford and Cannock Chase is hiring: Team Leader - Principal Solicitor (to £43,857). Closing: 12 September. A number of other closing dates are imminent:
Calling all childcare lawyers:
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Welsh council loses appeal over unfair dismissal claims brought by PE teachers affected by school reorganisation
Gwynedd Council has lost a Court of Appeal case over the redundancy of two physical education teachers after a school reorganisation. |
Clear link between poor governance and compliance with consumer standards, social housing regulator reports
The Regulator of Social Housing has outlined areas of improvement for social housing landlords in its ninth annual consumer regulation review. |
London borough to pay complainant £4k after failure to take homelessness application earlier
The London Borough of Barnet is to pay more than £4,000 to a man in case where it was too slow to take a homelessness application and provide emergency accommodation. |
Irwin Mitchell bolsters Public Law and Human Rights Team with honorary QC hire
Claimant law firm Irwin Mitchell has strengthened its Public Law and Human Rights Team with the appointment of leading human rights and discrimination lawyer Angela Jackman QC (Hon). |
Must-read: Homelessness and eligibility
This LexisNexis Local Government practice note, produced in partnership with Iris Ferber of 42 Bedford Row, provides comprehensive and up to date legal information covering the eligibility of applicants for housing assistance. (from our latest housing law newsletter) |
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Are you a dynamic and experienced litigation lawyer? Oxford is hiring: Lawyer - Litigation (to £45,583). See all the latest top opportunities here including:
- Preston: Information Governance Officer (to £33,782). Closing: 10 September.
- Torbay: Senior Lawyer - Adults (to £42,821). Closing: 17:00, 12 September.
- Knowsley: Legal Assistant - Property and Corporate (to £32,234) and Legal Assistant - Child Protection (to £29,577). Closing: 12 September.
- Devon: Lawyer - Conveyancing (to £41,881).
- North West Leicestershire: Senior Planning Solicitor (to £43,857).
- Hyndburn: Lawyer - Planning & Litigation (to £42,821).
- Stratford-on-Avon: Solicitor - Commercial Property (to £43,857).
- Warwickshire: Team Lead/Senior Solicitor - Employment (to £56,432), Property Solicitor (to £49,163) and Property Lawyer (to £34,728).
- Herefordshire: Lawyer - Commercial Contracts (to £42,821) and Lawyer 1 - Transitions/Court of Protection (to £42,821).
- Milton Keynes: Lawyer - Contracts, Procurement and Governance (to £44,863).
Private practice opportunities:
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Homes England 'revolutionises' procurement process with launch of new land disposal approach
Homes England has launched what it has called a "first of its kind" Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System, which allows housebuilders to apply to join the agency's list of preferred developers on an ongoing basis, rather than having to wait until the list renews once every four years. Local authorities and housing associations can also rely on the DPS as a procurement-compliant solution for finding housebuilders. |
Housing Ombudsman launches project on widening access to complaints with call for volunteers for expert group
The Housing Ombudsman said it sees cases where residents have used the courts or the media when they have an unresolved issue with their landlord rather than the complaint process, and cases failing to reach it where it could potentially do something to genuinely assist the resident with their situation. |
Freeths advises on project to convert landfill site into community owned solar-farm
National law firm Freeths has advised Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) on a collaboration with Plymouth City Council, to develop a new community-owned solar farm. |
Bevan Brittan strengthens higher education team with Soundy hire
Law firm Bevan Brittan has bolstered its higher education practice with the appointment of Rachel Soundy as a new corporate partner. |
Must-read: Mandatory vaccination for care home workers in England – update
Rachel Murray-Smith and Francesca Gallagher look at the detail of the government's guidance on compulsory vaccination for care staff. |
Must-read: Ask the author
These are some of the recent questions to Rob Hann from colleagues in Local Government via the Sharpe Pritchard ‘Ask-the-Author' facility: We are a local authority wishing to set up a trading company - what considerations should we take into account? What are the limitations on utilising the charging power under s93 of the Local Government Act 2003? Can you tell us whether the best value duty applies generally to a police authority? (See the answers and submit your own questions on Sharpe Edge) |
| Training:
Events: SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NEW COURSE, EVENTS AND WEBINAR ALERTS
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 LEPs and public funding
A Government review of Local Enterprise Partnerships is expected to lead to significant changes in how public funding is delivered in England, write Jonathan Branton and Alexander Rose. |
Notification to the biological father
Fran Massarella reports on an appeal against an order refusing a mother’s application for permission to dispense with the requirement for the local authority to give notice of the proceedings to the child’s biological father. |
Education authorities can resist requests for statement in appropriate circumstances
John Roberts explains how an education authority sought to resist an appeal in the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales. |
Where are you? The “missing” witnesses and drawing an adverse inference
Andrew Lane reports on a recent trial of a possession claim where the issue of adverse inferences was raised. (from our latest housing law newsletter) |
Service of documents in civil proceedings: A lesson in getting it right
Lynsey Oakdene and Kathryn Vickers highlight a recent judicial review case in which the claim form was set aside because it was served late and the court declined to exercise its case management powers. |
Capacity and the limits of decision-specificity
Alex Ruck Keene examines what can be learned from a Court of Protection judge's ruling on whether a woman had capacity in a range of areas. |
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 Looked after children and secure accommodation after 9 September
David Lock QC considers the looming crisis for children in local authority care being deprived of their liberty. What should local authorities do for looked after children in secure accommodation on 9 September? |
What is climate change litigation?
The following LexisNexis Environment practice note produced in partnership with Katharina Theil of Leigh Day and Richard Lord QC of Brick Court Chambers provides comprehensive and up to date legal information on the rise of climate change related litigation. |
Staying away from work because of Covid: a trap for employers?
Hari Menon looks at the problems that arise for employers where an employee stays away from work, pointing to the risks to his health from potentially contracting Covid. |
Challenge to Cherwell Local Plan review dismissed
Jenny Wigley QC, Leon Glenister and Rupert Warren QC examine the High Court’s dismissal of a challenge to the Cherwell Local Plan review. |
Revocation of adoption orders
The Court of Appeal recently heard an appeal against an order dismissing an application by the birth mother of three children to revoke an adoption order made in respect of those children. Fran Massarella looks at the outcome. |
The fit and proper person test and acquittals in the criminal courts
An appeal court has recently considered a taxi driver’s licence revocation after his acquittal in criminal courts. Gary Grant explains the outcome. |
 What is the role of the National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team in assisting enforcement authorities?
Robert Brown, Principal Solicitor at Powys County Council, recalls joining the National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) and explains how the team can help legal officers in enforcing their council's statutory duties. |
Intercountry Adoption – a Bird's Eye View of Legal Landscape focusing on Local Authority duties in these complex cases - LexisNexis
Ruth Cabeza, barrister and author of the text, International Adoption, from Harcourt Chambers and Joy Hopkinson, Principal Social Care Lawyer from London Borough of Lambeth, discuss the issues for local authorities dealing with overseas placements both in a private and public law context. |
Public Law Proceedings and the 1996 Hague Convention
Henry Setright QC and Chris Barnes consider a recent decision of the High Court examining the use of the 1996 Hague Convention in the context of public law children proceedings. |
Forced academisation
Can the Department for Education force schools to academise? Laura Sherratt analyses a recent High Court ruling. |
Make your mind up! Liquidated Damages clause upheld despite Employer’s challenge
In the recent case of Eco World Ballymore (EWB) v Dobler[ 1], an Employer took the unusual position of challenging their own entitlement to liquidated damages (LDs) on the ground that the LDs provision constituted an unenforceable penalty clause. Clare Mendelle and James Goldthorpe investigate. |
Delivering 21st-century customer experience in the public sector
Rachel Buchanan examines for LexisNexis how legal teams should support their authorities in delivering tailored services at a time of restrained resources. |
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Podcast: Interim care orders and new-born babies
As part of LawPod UK’s Family Law series, Richard Ager and Clare Ciborowska discuss with Rosalind English the distressing and emotional business of removing newborns from their mothers when it is decided that it is in the infant’s best interests. |
Webinar: Emotional dysregulation and the use of anticipatory declarations in the Court of Protection
Dr Nicholas Todd, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Sam Karim QC and Aisling Campbell discuss emotional dysregulation, fluctuating capacity, capacity on a longitudinal view, anticipatory declarations and the problems with care management. |
Webinar: Coercive and controlling behaviour: The latest from the Family Courts
Clare Ciborowska and Richard Ager join Rosalind English to discuss the challenges presented to family court judges by the obligation to conduct full fact finding hearings where allegations of domestic abuse are raised as part of LawPod UK’s Family Law series. |
Webinar: An overview of the National Planning Policy Framework 2021
Freddie Humphreys highlights and discusses key changes to the National Planning Policy Framework released on the 20th of July 2021. |
Webinar: A beginner's guide to Statutory Nuisance Prosecutions & Residential Accommodation
Mathew McDermott and Krishma Patel provide an introduction to statutory nuisance prosecutions in respect of residential accommodation, dealing with what "statutory nuisance” and “prejudicial to health” mean, what defences exist and what the Magistrates Court can award. |
Webinar: How to avoid common pitfalls in anti-social behaviour injunctions and committal applications
Louise Whittington and Natalie Foster provide practical guidance on frequently encountered issues in the preparation of applications for both civil injunctions and committals following breach of an injunction. |
Podcast: Local government pension scheme exit credits
Doug Mullen and Michelle Knight discuss the recent judicial review of regulations changing the regime governing exit credits in the local government pension scheme. |
| Top locum jobs (several with remote working):
Click here for many more locum roles |
 In the Bookstore:
Local Authority Charging and Trading Powers (LACAT)
The essential guide for English local authorities seeking to lawfully generate income from their statutory powers. £25 hard copy or DOWNLOAD FOR FREE.
A Guide to Local Authority Companies and Partnerships (‘LACAP’)
An invaluable, comprehensive toolkit for lawyers, law firms and others advising on or participating in Local Authority Companies and Partnerships.
Essential Law for Cemetery and Crematorium Managers
Commissioned by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), and written for everyone involved in the bereavement industry this authoritative book provides a complete and practical guide to the law of burial and cremation as it currently applies in England and Wales.
NEW: Cornerstone on Social Housing Fraud
Social housing fraud is an important and high profile issue. This title provides a thorough overview of this regime and how local authorities can maximise their chances of recovering possession of properties affected by fraud, obtaining 'compensation' and securing a conviction, including techniques for effective evidence gathering. (2nd edition published June 2021)
Cornerstone on the Planning Court
This practical and accessible text is an essential reference work for all potential users of the Planning Court whether they bring, defend or take an interest in the broad range of claims that now fall to the court to decide upon.
Licensing: The New Law Second edition
The Licensing Act 2003 marked a major shift in licensing law and practice by introducing a new and unified system of alcohol and entertainment licensing. All of those involved in implementing, enforcing and advising upon the new regime need to have a detailed knowledge of the Act and subsequent regulations and guidance.
See all current books at: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/books |
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 LGSS Law becomes Pathfinder Legal Services with target of being “a national leader for local government law”
District councils pursue s.113 agreement to continue sharing legal services and other officers following end of wider partnership
Anthony Collins bolsters Manchester office with housing partner hire
Freeths advises on project to convert landfill site into community owned solar-farm
Bevan Brittan strengthens higher education team with Soundy hire
Irwin Mitchell bolsters Public Law and Human Rights Team with honorary QC hire |
