The Legal 500

20 CATHEDRAL ROAD, CARDIFF, CF11 9LJ, WALES
Tel:
Work 02920 232032
Fax:
Fax 02920 233636
DX:
141874 CARDIFF 28
Web:
www.apexchambers.net
Email:

Apex is one of Wales’ leading sets, providing specialist expertise in criminal, regulatory, employment and disciplinary law.

The set: Apex was set up in 2007 to reimagine what a provincial chambers could be, with an emphasis on specialisation. It brings together established advocates from Wales and England with a shared commitment to employing the highest legal expertise, the finest advocacy and the greatest determination in client service. Chambers provides advice and assistance across the UK and throughout the entire criminal process – it regularly advises on conduct of cases prior to charge and at appellate level. Eight members of chambers sit as recorders.

Types of work undertaken: Members prosecute and defend in all types of serious crime, including serious fraud. Chambers regularly undertakes criminal and disciplinary work for police officers – eight members of Chambers are involved in the defence of serving and retired officers accused of fabricating a case against the ‘Cardiff Three’, following the murder of Lynette White in 1988. Members also act for doctors and sportsmen in tribunals and some barristers have developed an associated specialisation in employment law.

Members regularly prosecute on behalf of local authorities across the UK and chambers has recently been successful in a tender for South Wales local authority work. It acts for the all-Wales Illegal Money Lending Unit. Chambers places particular pride in advising non-traditional prosecutors as to the potential of the Proceeds of Crime Act and it is in a position to link prosecutors with financial investigators able to assist in POCA investigations.

Several members of chambers act for the Environment Agency and have recently conducted successful prosecutions of one of the largest paper recyclers in the UK (St Regis Paper) and of companies involved in the illegal tipping of many thousands of tonnes of spoil from the construction of the trans-Wales gas pipeline (Operation Ascot).

Members of chambers are licensed to conduct work on a direct public access basis; please contact the clerks for details.

Above material supplied by Apex Chambers ().

Legal Developments in the UK

Legal Developments and updates from the leading lawyers in each jurisdiction. To contribute, send an email request to
  • HOUSING

    In Nzinga Maswaku v Westminster City Council [2012] EWCA Civ 669 the Court of Appeal clarified that in offering a homeless person with alternative temporary accommodation the local authority is obliged to point that if the offer is refused it has discharged its Part VII duties under the Housing Act 1996.
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  • COUNCIL TAX

    In Harrow LBC v Ayiku [2012] EWHC 1200 (Admin) Sales J held that the word “or” in the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992, art 3 Class N, had a disjunctive meaning, therefore it was sufficient for the non-British spouse of a foreign student to satisfy one or other of the two conditions, namely being prevented from taking paid employment or being prevented from claiming benefits, in order to qualify as a “relevant person” who was exempted from liability to pay council tax.
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  • QUEEN’S SPEECH

    Bills already introduced pursuant to the Queen’s Speech on 9 May 2012 include Local Government Finance Bill and Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, both accompanied by Explanatory Notes, which in each case address ECHR compatibility.
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  • Standards

    In R (Calver) v Adjudication Panel for Wales [2012] EWHC 1172 (Admin) Mr Calver was a member of Manorbier Community Council who successfully challenged the decision of the Panel to dismiss his appeal against a decision by Prembrokeshire County Council Standards Committee censuring him for a number of comments or blogs posted by him on a website he owned and controlled.
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  • A justified retrospective

    Clive Sheldon - QC debates the pros & cons of retrospective tax legislation
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty (“PSED”)

    In R (Greenwich Community Law Centre) v Greenwich LBC [2012] EWCA Civ 496 the Court of Appeal held that the Council had had “due regard to the PSED when making changes to its funding of community legal advice services”. At para 30 Elias LJ said:
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  • Public Sector Equality Duty

    Surrey County Council conducted a review of its Library Service. This culminated in a Report to the Council’s Cabinet. The Recommendations in the Report included that there should be consultation about a community-partnership approach at selected Libraries.
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  • Judicial Review

    The Judgment of Lindblom J in The Manydown Co Ltd v Basingstoke and Deane BC [2012] EWHC 977 (Admin) repays attention. The Claimant sought to challenge by judicial review 2 decisions of the Council: (1) the Council’s refusal to reconsider its position on the development of a site that it owns (and is the subject matter of a Joint Development Partnership Agreement with the Claimant); and (2) a decision of the Council’s Cabinet approving a selection of sites for development which did not include this site.
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  • The Health and Social Care Act 2012: impact on adult social services

    After its torrid passage through Parliament, the Health and Social Care Bill received Royal Assent on 27 March 2012. The Act deals principally with healthcare reform, but it also contains some amendments to the legislative framework for social care. It will come into force on a day yet to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
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  • Immigration update May 2012

    In this issue: