Local Government Constitutions, Standards and Investigations
This seminar will examine:
- Developments in constitutional practice and law
- Access to information
- Code of Conduct caselaw update
- Probity and bias developments
- Local standards investigations of members
- Investigations of officer conduct.
Richard Harwood specialises in planning, environmental, parliamentary and public law at 39 Essex Street Chambers, acting for private and public sector clients. He has appeared in the bias case of Bovis Homes and advised local authorities on probity and constitution issues. He is recommended by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500 for planning and environmental and by Planning magazine. He is a member of the Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate and former local councillor. Richard is a case editor of the Journal of Planning and Environment Law.
Gordon Nardell acts for and against local authorities in cases involving local government powers, constitution, finance and conduct as well as procurement, elections and planning/ environment issues. Gordon appeared in the Code of Conduct case Scrivens v Ethical Standards Officer [2005] LGR 641. He has also appeared in other significant cases on local government issues including Nottingham City Council v Thames [2003] H.L.R. 14 (scope of power to obtain injunction under s. 152 Housing Act 1996), Burgoine v Waltham Forest LBC [1997] BCC 347 (the ultra vires doctrine and officers' indemnities) and the leading HRA/planning case of Alconbury [2003] 2 AC 295. Gordon is a councillor in a London Borough, and a regular contributor to professional education and training events.
Alex Ruck Keene has considerable expertise in the field of local government law and is coauthor of the local government section of Shackleton on the Law of Meetings (10th edition; 2006). He has a particular interest in standards matters, and has conducted investigations into both officer and member conduct. Between January and April 2005, he conducted an extensive inquiry for Buckinghamshire County Council into how allegations of child abuse were handled at a maintained school in the 1980s.
Date: Tuesday 31st October 2006
Date Ends: Thursday 1st January 1970
Telephone: 020 7634 9115
Fax: 020 7353 3978
Email: lelia.didomenico@39essex.com
Address: 39 Essex Street
London
WC2R 3AT