The Legal 500

ELM COURT, TEMPLE, LONDON, EC4Y 7AH, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 020 7842 7070
Fax:
Fax 020 7842 7088
DX:
109 LONDON CHANCERY LANE WC2
Web:
www.1pumpcourt.co.uk
Email:

This progressive set specialises in a range of civil and public matters, including housing, immigration and human rights, as well as criminal law and family matters.

The set: 1 Pump Court was established in 1978 by a group of lawyers with a commitment to providing a first-class service to all, particularly the legally aided client and those facing tribunals where legal aid is not available. Since its founding, 1 Pump Court has been a democratic collective and does not have a head of chambers. It is run by a management committee, which has responsibility for the efficient and effective operation of chambers. Members of chambers chair tribunals and lecture and conduct training courses in their specialist areas. They also contribute to legal journals and other publications. Chambers works closely with law centres and other agencies who are addressing unmet legal needs.

Having established quality assurance systems Barmark and Quality Mark, chambers is committed to rigorous monitoring to ensure that its high standards are maintained and improved so that there is a sound basis for the delivery of the highest quality legal services to all its clients.

Members belong to various practice associations and organisations, such as HLPA, ILPA, ALBA, LAG and Liberty.

1 Pump Court is committed to social responsibility and to the continuing improvement of all its activities so that it can reduce its collective impact on the environment.

Types of work undertaken: Chambers undertakes criminal, civil and public law, family and immigration work nationwide and at all levels, from magistrates’ courts, crown courts, county courts, inquests and tribunals, and Courts of Appeal, to the House of Lords, European Courts and Privy Council.

The civil and public law group provides notable expertise in housing, immigration, human rights, asylum support, community care, travellers’ rights, actions against the police, discrimination, prison law, welfare benefits and fuel rights.

The crime group consists of a large and experienced team practising exclusively in criminal defence work, providing representation to persons accused of the whole range of criminal offences, from minor road traffic offences to murder, at every stage of proceedings. The team is committed to ensuring that all persons accused of crime are properly represented and is well known for its pro bono work.

Members of the specialist family group practise in all areas of national and international law, including public and private law children’s cases, domestic violence, ancillary relief, and child abduction cases in domestic law and under the Hague Convention. The group has established a solid reputation for representing family members, local authorities and children in family and child care litigation.

Judicial review is an important and expanding area within chambers, particularly in respect of housing, crime, immigration and social welfare, including children.

Above material supplied by 1 Pump Court ().

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: