Local Government Lawyer


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Local Government Lawyer

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Open Justice Principle – Where are the lines drawn in care proceedings?

The Court of Appeal recently sought to emphasise the limits of the open justice principle, specifically in the context of care proceedings under the Children Act 1989. Jemimah Hendrick analyses the ruling.
December 17, 2025
Open Justice Principle – Where are the lines drawn in care proceedings?

Unlocking legal talent

Jonathan Bourne sets out why in-house council teams and law firms should embrace apprenticeships.
June 13, 2025
Unlocking legal talent

News



News



Must read

LGL Red line
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Fix it fast: How “Awaab’s Law”
is forcing action

Eleanor Jones sets out what "Awaab's Law"
will mean in practice for social landlords.

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Housing management in practice
Rebecca Rees provides key takeaways
on six key challenges in housing
management including how to tackle
anti-social behaviour.

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Local authority legal teams after Mazur
Local authority legal teams will need to review
their practices and work allocation in the wake
of Mazur, but there is no need for
panic writes Timothy Leader.

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Why AI must power
the next wave
of Social Housing
delivery

 

 

 

 

 

 

For years, national housing policy has wrestled with the tension between aspiration
and delivery. Targets have been set and missed; waiting lists have grown longer,
and the most vulnerable people in our society have been left with fewer safe,
affordable places to call home. Technology has a key role to play to address this
situation writes Andrew Lloyd of Search Acumen.


News


Features

Prohibitions orders, assessments and the HSSRS

December 18, 2025
The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has given guidance as to the conduct of assessments under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Josef Cannon KC and Riccardo Calzavara examine the judgment.

Highways, kerbs and intervention levels

December 18, 2025
Tom Danter reports on a recent case where the claimant alleged there was a dip in a kerbstone that caused her to ball but the defendant local authority was able to put forward a successful section 58 defence.

Features

Growing apart?

November 27, 2025
For centuries, England and Wales have shared a single legal jurisdiction, with both countries operating under one unified system of courts and legal principles. However, since the creation of the Welsh Parliament in 1999, leading to the divergence of Welsh and English law, questions have arisen over the need for a separate Welsh legal jurisdiction. Lottie Winson explores how this situation came…

Political and mayoral assistants

November 27, 2025
Political and mayoral assistants will potentially play an increasingly important role in the post-LGR/devolution landscape. Geoff Wild sets out the legislative background to these posts in local authorities, the scope of the roles and constitutional changes necessary to proceed with appointments.

Features

Teacher dismissed after joking about 'whacking' a pupil: was the decision fair?

December 17, 2025
Is it okay for a teacher to joke about ‘whacking’ a pupil? That's what happened in a recent case and resulted in the teacher being dismissed. The main question the tribunal had to decide was whether the dismissal fell within the range of reasonable responses open to the school, writes Alexandra Addington.

Court of Appeal rules on exclusions once again

November 20, 2025
The Court of Appeal delivered its third exclusion decision this year at the end of October. This marks unprecedented activity in exclusion case law - no other Court of Appeal exclusion cases have emerged since the law changed in 2011, writes Philip Wood.

Faith-based oversubscription criteria

November 20, 2025
The High Court recently upheld faith-based oversubscription criteria in school admissions arrangements. Laura Berman and Michael Brotherton explain why.

Features

Enjoying the challenge

November 21, 2025
LLG President Paul Turner has worked in local government throughout his legal career. Philip Hoult talks to him about what drew him into the sector, the benefits of working for different kinds of local authorities, and what challenges such as local government reorganisation mean for legal teams.

From Paralegal to Solicitor

November 15, 2024
Rob Dudley outlines the route to qualification for paralegals via the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

Features

Fear of harm and plans for adoption

December 17, 2025
The Court of Appeal recently set aside care and placement orders in respect of a two-year-old boy, concluding that the deficiencies in the parenting that he was likely to receive from his mother were not of a nature and degree to justify the termination of the parent/child relationship. Will Green looks at the lessons from the ruling.

Issues Resolution Hearings, threshold criteria and adequacy of reasons

December 17, 2025
The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal over a short form of judgment delivered at the conclusion of an IRH disposing of public law proceedings which were by then effectively uncontested, finding that the parties were left in a state of ignorance as to the basis on which the judge actually approved the local authority's right to pursue final orders. Theo Corbett examines the judgment.

Foster carers and manifestation of religious belief

December 16, 2025
The High Court recently rejected a claim brought by Evangelical Christians against a city council under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010 after the local authority rejected their application to become foster carers. Georgina Pein analyses the ruling.

Webinars

SPONSORED

How Finders International Supports Council Officers

Councils across the UK face a growing number of complex cases involving deceased individuals with no known next of kin, unclaimed estates, and long-term empty properties. These situations demand not only legal precision but also sensitivity, efficiency, and resourcefulness.

Unlocking legal talent

Jonathan Bourne of Damar Training sets out why in-house council teams and law firms should embrace apprenticeships.

Webinars

Pathfinder and the Sunflowers

In today’s episode of FortyTwo Talks, Family Law Practitioner, Rachel Chan, is joined by Estella Newbold-Brown, Partner of Amphlett Lissimore to discuss the Private Law 'Pathfinder' and Estella’s new book, Isla and Quinn The Sunflowers.

Webinars

Webinars

Public Sector Insights – Disability discrimination in education

Trish D’Souza, a Legal Director in the Education sector, and Jo Corbett-Simmons, a Legal Director in our Commercial Litigation team, delivered a session for schools, local authorities and academy trusts on Disability discrimination – how to recognise potential claims.

More Features

Calculation of Biodiversity Net Gain

December 09, 2025
The High Court recently refused judicial review of decision to redevelop Bristol Zoo Gardens, providing guidance on Biodiversity Net Gain, Carbon Calculations and Open Space. Peter Goatley KC and Sioned Davies analyse the ruling.

The new National Licensing Policy Framework

December 09, 2025
The National Licensing Policy Framework is intended to ensure a licensing system that protects and safeguards communities, but also supports investment in existing and new venues, extended consumer choice, regeneration and better regulation. Chris Rees-Gay sets out the key points.

Events

Events

Directory

Directory