Using the Equality Act 2010 in housing cases: homelessness, “No DSS” & discrimination - 21 Jan 2021

This webinar is brought to you by the Garden Court Chambers Housing Team. In this webinar, we will examine the protections enshrined in the Equality Act 2010 and their use in the field of housing law. Tessa Buchanan will look at two recent cases – ‘Jane’ v A Lettings Agent and Tyler v Paul Carr Estate Agents – where the Court has held that a ban on applicants who receive benefits was unlawfully discriminatory. Edward Fitzpatrick will discuss the Equality Act issues which arise in respect of homelessness reviews and appeals and will look at recent Court of Appeal case-law on the PSED and discrimination in a homelessness context. This webinar will be chaired by Nick Bano. https://www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk... Speakers Edward Fitzpatrick, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Call: 1990) Edward is a specialist housing barrister with a particular interest in homelessness appeals, public law challenges and cases involving Human Rights and Equality Act issues. Edward also undertakes a range of regulatory and property law cases. He is ranked for Social Housing in both the Legal 500 2019 in Tier 1 and Chambers UK Bar Guide 2019 in Band 1. Edward appears in substantial trials and appeals in the county court, as well as taking cases before the higher courts. Edward seeks to provide effective representations for applicants/tenants in all spheres of housing and related work, adopting a measured and pragmatic approach. Very much a trial counsel, he is able to marshal complex cases that require careful preparation and vigorous advocacy. Tessa Buchanan, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Call: 2012) Tessa is a social welfare law practitioner with particular expertise in the fields of community care, housing, homelessness, Gypsy and Traveller Law, and public law. Her practice is primarily publicly funded. She regularly represents clients in a wide range of hearings in the County Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. She is a co- author of Housing Allocation and Homelessness: Law and Practice (fifth edition, Lexis Nexis, 2018) and a contributing author to Gypsy and Traveller Law (third edition: Legal Action Group, 2019), the Housing Law Handbook (second edition: Law Society, 2020) and the Migrant Support Handbook (first edition: forthcoming). She is a member of the EHRC panel of preferred counsel. Nick Bano, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Year of Call: 2013) (Chair) Nick specialises in representing homeless people, residential occupiers, and destitute & migrant households in both public law and private law disputes. Nick has particular expertise in cases where equality rights and social entitlement overlap. He has been involved in bringing some of the significant recent challenges in this area. Chambers & Partners recommends him as an ‘up and coming’ talent in the social housing field, saying ”his thriving practice takes in homelessness appeals, disrepair claims and possession proceedings, among others”.