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Conferences. She also provides the disrepair training for Legal Action.
Notable Cases
Barrister profile
Beatrice Prevatt
Goodman Johnson v Hounslow LBC and Kingston upon Thames RBC
[2012]
The 17 year old Claimant, who turned 18 during the proceedings, sought
accommodation and assistance under the Children Act against 2 authorities. on
the basis that although they had not actually accommodated the claimant, they
should have done so for the requisite period so that they would also owe duties
toward him under the children leaving care provisions. Interim relief and
permission was granted after a contested hearing and the case settled 2 days
before the final hearing with full acceptance of responsibility by the authority of
the Claimant's choosing.
R (McLean) v Newham LBC and Waltham Forest LBC [2012]
This was a claim for assistance under s17 Children Act 1989 for a family who
moved from one borough to another and was in essence a dispute between the
boroughs as to which should be responsible. Although the family was living in
Newham, 2 of the children remained at school in Waltham Forest who argued that
Newham should be responsible as the children's need for accommodation was
co-existent with their presence in Newham. Permission to apply for judicial review
was granted against both authorities, although resisted by Waltham Forest and
orders for interim relief and increased provision of interim relief obtained. The
claim subsequently settled on payment of the Claimants costs split between the
authorities after the Claimant was granted indefinite leave to remain and the court
expressed the view that continued argument was a waste of public resources
Brown v Richmond upon Thames LBC [2011] Wandsworth CC. Successful
application for costs on the papers after Richmond agreed to withdraw its review
decision of no priority need shortly after the homelessness appeal was issued but
refused to pay costs.
Bernard v Meisuria [2010] Central London CC. A landlord was held liable for a
rat infestation emanating from defective drains after a 2 day hearing with
contested expert evidence. Damages of £20,000 awarded for the 4 year
infestation.
R (Choudhury) v London Borough of Brent [2010] CO/5135/2010. Permission
to apply for judicial review granted to challenge the Council's decision that the
applicant's refusal of an offer of temporary accommodation and the discharge of
the duty under Part VII entitled the Council to block the applicants outstanding bid
for a property under the allocations policy. it was argued that the Council had
acted contrary to its own allocation policy and that the applicant had a legitimate
expectation that she would be made an offer in accordance with her priority at the
time her bid was made. The case subsequently settled on the basis of the
Council agreeing to make the applicant a direct offer of the next available
property in the block she had bid for.
London Borough of Southwark v Aseme [2010] Case number 2010/0159. A
possession claim brought on the basis that the Defendant was a non secure
tenant was defended on the basis that tenancy granted was in fact secure as it
had been granted in the mistaken belief that Defendant's homelessness appeal
had not yet been dismissed and was not therefore granted pursuant to a
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