David Lawson appears in two High Court Judicial Reviews concerning equality law
4th December 2015
David Lawson has appeared in the High Court in two recent challenges to central and local government decision making.
In Logan v. London Borough of Havering the Court considered the Council Tax Reduction Scheme in Havering. Havering had introduced a scheme requiring all working age residents to pay at least 15% of the council tax due, including those with severe disabilities. The case concerned the right to property in the European Convention, disability discrimination under the Equality Act and the procedures for local government decision making. The Court found that the scheme was introduced in breach of the public sector equality duty but that the scheme itself was not discriminatory (distinguishing Burnip v. Birmingham CC [2012] LGR 954). David Lawson represented Mr Logan with Karon Monaghan QC, instructed by John Ford solicitors. Click here for the full judgment.
In Nyoni v. Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills the Court considered the Secretary of State’s refusal to grant student finance to a student long resident in the UK but without settled status. This followed on from the decision of the Supreme Court in Tigere [2015] 1 WLR 3820 that the settlement criterion applied to applications for student loans was unlawful discrimination against those with long residence. The Court decided that the decision was not discriminatory but that in the circumstances it was not reasonable to refuse finance to Ms Nyoni. David Lawson represented Ms Nyoni with Karon Monaghan QC, instructed by Public Interest Lawyers. Click here for the full judgmen
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