7 pm 16 May 2012
Possession Claims Old and New
Speakers:
Tim Powell: Powell Forster Solicitors
Tracey Bloom: Doughty Street Chambers
From 7 pm at Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW
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The Housing Law Practitioners Association was set up to provide a forum for practitioners working in the housing field to share knowledge and information.
Membership is open to all those who use housing law for the benefit of the homeless, tenants, and other occupiers of housing. Current members include solicitors, barristers, advice workers, independent environmental health officers and other housing specialists.
HLPA news and events
Contacts
General and membership enquiries: Admin
Press and professional enquiries: Giles Peaker
Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year 2012 Nominations
The 2012 Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year nominations are open.
In this difficult time for legal aid, what better than to celebrate the passion and commitment of those working in legal aid practice? Do you know someone or a practice whose work should be recognised in the LALYs? Then nominate them!
The nomination form is here and more details are here.
The closing date is 27 April 2012
Draft Allocation Code of Guidance Consultation Notes
ALLOCATION CODE OF GUIDANCE Consultation Paper –DCLG (Department of Communities & Local Government) Closing 30/03/2012
Message to HLPA members from David Watkinson (for Law Reform Sub-Group)
Final Reminder
Please Note the closing date for responses to the above
Responses to go to housingreform@communities.gsi.gov.uk
If you would like to contribute to HLPA’s response please send to David Watkinson by AM Wednesday 28/3/2012 to davidw@gclaw.co.uk
This will be the only Allocation Code once finalised as it will replace all previous Guidance
The scope of the Draft Code is wide so there is no substitute for reading it as [... read more]
21 March 2012 Meeting and AGM
Homeless Children and AGM
The AGM will start at 6.30 pm. The speakers will begin at 7 pm.
Speakers:
Zia Nabi: 1 Pump Court Chambers Ian Wise: Doughty Street Chambers
From 6.30 pm on 21 March 2012 at Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW
Housing and LASPO
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill enters report stage in the House of Lords from 5 March. Any further amendments to the bill in the Lords must happen at this stage. It is likely that the social welfare provisions, including housing, will be debated from Monday 5 March onwards.
There is one single housing related amendment tabled, although there are others addressing social welfare more broadly. The amendment is at 75-77 of the marshalled list of amendments. The proposed amendment was drafted by Shelter and supported by HLPA, as well as Citizens Advice, Justice for All, the Law [... read more]
Court desk limited opening times from April 2012
As of April 2012, all Civil and Family Courts will be changing the opening times of the court desks. They will be open only between 11 am and 1 pm.
According to HMCTS:
Court users attending the public counter with routine work that does not require a face to face service provision will be directed to a “drop box” or to the secure court postbox. Work that is considered will fall into this category include:
- -Making a payment
- -Case specific enquiries
- -General enquiries
- -Lodging documents
- -Issuing money claims or other civil applications
- -Issuing divorce proceedings
- -Issuing public or private law proceedings
- -Issuing enforcement proceedings
- -Collecting forms / orders
HMCTS further state that
These [... read more]
Membership renewals and deadlines
The period for a 10% discount for renewing membership for 2012 has been extended to 29 February 2012. New members or those who are returning to HLPA and were not members in 2011 receive a further 10% discount, 20% overall, if joining before 29 February 2012.
The members password for the website will be changing at the end of February and the new password will be emailed to 2012 members shortly beforehand.
In what is going to be a challenging year, HLPA is working hard to provide members with information, support and training, and also to make HLPA’s voice heard in policy [... read more]
HLPA Seminars for 2012
We have a full programme of seminars for the next year. These are specialist training sessions by experienced practitioners ideal for those in the first few years after qualification or those looking to fill out their training in a specific topic. The seminars are open to all members and there is a fee.
The seminars take place in central London venues between 6 pm and 8 pm. Booking forms and further details will be circulated to members in advance of each seminar and will be available on the website. The following dates are subject to final confirmation.
29 Feb 2012: Advocacy Training. Doughty [... read more]
2012 Meeting Programme
We have a full and exciting programme of meetings for 2012. The speakers are amongst the foremost and most experienced practitioners in their field and the topics address what is going to be a year of changes.
18 January: Localism Act: What Lies Ahead (Taken place)
21 March: Homeless Children And AGM. Meeting starts at 6.30 pm
16 May: Possession Claims: The Old and the New
18 July: Outside the Housing Acts: No Recourse and Community Care
19 September: Homelessness Update
21 November: Housing Law Update
Unless otherwise stated, all meetings will be at 7 pm at Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London [... read more]
January 2012 Meeting
7 pm 18 January 2012
The Localism Act
Speakers:
David Smith: Anthony Gold Solicitors
David Watkinson: Garden Court Chambers
From 7 pm at Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW