Public Law
Steel & Shamash focus on many aspects of the needs of vulnerable members of society, and our Public Law team has a cross-practice capability to assist any department of the firm as the need arises, whatever the public law or human rights issue.
In 2009 alone we have coordinated judicial review challenges in the following areas:
Criminal Law
Family Law
Community Care
Housing Law
Mental Health Law
All our work in this area is publicly funded.
The main focus is on actions against local authorities, and the most common issues that arise concern 'needs assessments' and 'service provision'. We have particular experience in representing children and vulnerable adults, (often with uncertain immigration status) and a particular focus of our recent work has been in age assessments involving unaccompanied children seeking asylum. We also specialise in working with HIV+ clients, and we work with several charities in this context.
We can bring public law challenges on behalf of clients who have been channelled through the criminal justice system, and mental health system, including the following:
the review of Cautions
Parole Board hearings
Mental Health Tribunals and where there are issues of unfairness and delay within the Judicial system.
Important public law decisions successfully brought by the firm include:-
R (C) v London Borough of Lambeth [2008] EWHC 1230 (Admin)
R (MM) v London Borough of Lewisham [2009] EWHC 416 (Admin)
R (Mendes & Anr) v Southwark London Borough Council [2009] WLR (D) 108
M v East London NHS Foundation Trust CO/1065/2009
R (NA) v LB CROYDON [2009] EWHC 2357 (Admin)