The Legal 500

Chambers of Richard Pratt QC

7 HARRINGTON STREET, LIVERPOOL, L2 9YH, ENGLAND
Tel:
Work 0151 242 0707
Fax:
Fax 0151 236 2800
DX:
14221 LIVERPOOL
Web:
www.7hs.co.uk
Email:

7 Harrington Street is one of the largest sets of chambers in the country. It has a policy of excellence, innovation and expansion with expertise in all aspects of the law. The set has earned its reputation through continued professional excellence and a commitment to working to the highest ethical standards.

The set: Currently there are 109 barristers, including 12 QCs. They are supported by a large and dedicated team of clerking and administrative staff who consistently provide clients with a high level of service.

As holders of the Legal Services Quality mark, the set offers quality-assured services to members of the public who need legal information, advice and assistance. Chambers is firmly committed to equal opportunities and accepts instructions from anyone, regardless of background or circumstances.

7 Harrington Street is located in the heart of the commercial and legal centre of Liverpool, only a short walk from the QEII Combined Courts Centre and the Liverpool Civil and Family Courts. The set has extensive, state-of-the-art conference and seminar facilities, including a video conferencing suite.

Types of work undertaken: Chambers provides experienced advocates at every level of criminal work, in a comprehensive range of matters. Specific areas of expertise include commercial fraud, defence insurance fraud, police discipline, drugs offences, consumer protection and all kinds of local government legislation, trade descriptions, civil liberties cases and actions against the police, food and safety, health and safety, noise nuisance, and regulation of goods and public service vehicles, as well as road traffic and other common offences.

Civil expertise includes all types of common law work. All aspects of personal injury, including catastrophic cases, industrial accidents and disease, are dealt with, as well as clinical and professional negligence, including legal and surveyor matters. All types of contract and commercial work are handled, together with landlord and tenant matters, environmental nuisance and employment cases, immigration, redundancy, dismissal, and sex and race discrimination. Planning cases are handled, as well as product liability actions, insurance, liquor and betting licensing, mental health, housing, and welfare law.

Family expertise includes every aspect of child and matrimonial proceedings, including finance and property distribution, Human Rights Act cases, all types of public and private child law cases including adoption and care proceedings, and Children Act matters, as well as mediation, separation and divorce. Chambers intends to further develop its existing areas of expertise through organic growth.

Above material supplied by 7 Harrington Street (Chambers of Richard Pratt QC).

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: