Lincoln House Chambers has wide ranging and extensive experience in providing expert advice, assistance and representation to local authorities, companies and individuals in relation to a range of local authority statutory and corporate functions including:
- Licensing
- Trading standards
- Health and Safety
- Environmental services
- Food safety
- Benefit fraud and administration
- Education
- Anti-social behaviour
- Housing
- Highways (enforcement and negligence)
- Contractual disputes
Our Barristers have a track record of appointments to Government organised advocate panels from the Regulatory List to the CPS specialist panels, therefore meeting the high standards set by governmental and quasi government organisations in terms of both professional standards and, equality and diversity.
Below we have set out a summary of the main areas of work we undertake in relation to Local Government Law. However, our Clerks are happy to discuss any case in which you have a requirement for assistance from counsel.
REGULATORY ENFORCEMENT
Lincoln House Chambers understands the varying constitutional directorates and service units within a local authority and the regulatory enforcement role each plays in serving its local and wider community.
Our Barristers have wide ranging and extensive experience of Local Government Regulatory Law. We regularly advise, assist and represent local authorities, companies and individuals, before a range of courts, tribunals, constitutional panels and committees, across a multitude of legal areas and enforcement issues. This includes: Licensing, Trading Standards, Health and Safety, Food Safety, Environmental Protection, Benefit Fraud and Education enforcement.
We are also regularly instructed in relation to Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive prosecutions and have an unrivalled reputation in complex fraud cases. This background of knowledge and experience only serves to enhance the service we provide when instructed on local authority prosecutions.
Lincoln House Chambers has an enviable national reputation for excellence. Our Barristers not only provide the highest standard of representation at all stages of the proceedings, but also provide advice and assistance to both prosecution and defence on all aspects and stages of the enforcement process including enforcement notices, the investigation, the decision to prosecute, PII and disclosure issues.
LICENSING
We understand that public safety and thriving commerce are at the heart of all licensing regimes. licensing decisions have the capacity to affect the local community, business reputation and the local policing strategy in all manner of ways. Accordingly, in any type of licensing issue, an experienced and expert approach is a must.
In addition to our expertise in regulatory enforcement, Lincoln House Chambers provides representation, advice and assistance in relation to all aspects of all types of licensing law. In particular that which relates to: Taxi Licensing (Hackney and Private Hire), Premises and Personal Licensing (alcohol, food and entertainment), Street Trading, Gambling, Sex Establishments and Firearms.
Our Barristers are well versed in the multitude of licensing and local government laws and, plethora of case law and guidance in this area. We are regularly instructed on behalf of local authorities, responsible authorities, applicants, trade unions, interested parties and objectors at all stages of the licensing process including on issues of policy, the application stage, revocation and suspension decisions, discussions on conditions, all panel/committee hearings and all types of appeal hearings.
ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND HOUSING
Community safety and anti-social behaviour have long been a priority for councils and their respective crime reduction partners. Such cases invariably involve youths and adults with complex backgrounds and needs. They often require a multidisciplinary approach to the issues at hand. Ultimately and unfortunately, when all other avenues have been exhausted, court action is sometimes the only answer.
Lincoln House Chambers act on behalf of local authorities, registered social landlords and individuals in respect of ASBOs, ASBIs, breach and committal proceedings. We also take instructions on all aspects of housing law and have particular experience in possession proceedings and housing disrepair.
Our Barristers are able to provide the highest standard of advice and representation at all stages of the proceedings.
PERSONAL INJURY
Lincoln House Chambers are regularly instructed by local authorities and individuals in respect of personal injury claims arising from injuries on the highways, in local authority premises and employee injuries at work.
Accordingly, our Barristers have expert knowledge and experience of the law relating to negligence, highways, occupiers’ liability and employer liability. We represent both claimant and defendant on all types of claims ranging from low value fast track slip and trips to multi track, complex, high value serious injury cases.
We provide advice, drafting and, representation at all stages of the proceedings and settlement discussions. We understand the need to run cases efficiently and achieve settlement on terms most advantageous to our client. However, and especially in the current economic climate, we are also astute to the need to resist and robustly defend weak and spurious claims.
Our Barristers are happy to assess cases at the early stages of litigation to provide advice on prospects and evidence, an approach which is often crucial in enabling parties to avoid problems later on in the proceedings.
CONTRACT LAW AND GENERAL CIVIL LITIGATION
Like any corporate entity a local authority through its officers is often required to enter into contractual negotiations and when necessary, defend or pursue actions for breach of contract.
We act in relation to all manner of contractual disputes. Our Barristers provide advice, assistance and representation in relation to all aspects of contract law including drafting, negotiations, litigation and dispute resolution. Recent instructions have included representing a local authority in an invoice dispute, another in a schools’ energy savings dispute and representing a police force in a dispute over vehicle storage charges
JUDICIAL REVIEW
Lincoln house barristers understand the wider statutory, public law, human rights and corporate issues which affect all functions and decision making within the above directorates and service units of a local authority.
In the first instance, we are able to provide high quality, timely and up to date legal advice across the whole range of corporate and statutory functions so as to ensure, that the Council is working within its statutory powers and that its decision-making is lawful and cannot be successfully challenged.
However, when the decisions and actions of a local authority are challenged, our Barristers are able to provide advice and representation at all stages of Judicial Review proceedings.
“Lincoln House Chambers is a top-tier, reliable, and strong set of chambers. You have peace of mind instructing any barrister from this set, knowing they are experienced and diligent.” Legal 500, 2024
“Lincoln House Chambers has a breadth of excellent regulatory counsel with a vast range of experiences; it has long been established as a go-to set.” Legal 500, 2024