Government Legal Department Vacancies

Government Legal Department Vacancies


June 13, 2025

Unlocking legal talent

Jonathan Bourne sets out why in-house council teams and law firms should embrace apprenticeships.
June 13, 2025

Re A compliance in care proceedings

Emily Henshaw looks at what Re A compliance means and why it matters.
June 12, 2025

AI in the UK public sector

In the first in a series of articles on the adoption of AI by the public sector, Justin Harrington sets out some use cases and provides a regulatory overview.
June 11, 2025

Planning reform to accelerate housing delivery - at what cost?

Chrisa Tsompani examines how the Government’s sweeping planning reforms could reshape every layer of the building sector – from local authorities to small-medium builders, and considers the critical implications for environmental policies.
June 11, 2025

All change: The implications of planning reform upon regeneration projects

There is a considerable amount of legislative and policy change taking place in town and country planning currently. Richard Barlow and Tansy Greer look at some of the key changes which are likely to impact regeneration projects.
June 11, 2025

Appropriate assessments and planning committee meetings

Annabel Graham Paul sets out the wider implications of a recent Court of Appeal decision on appropriate assessments in a case involving a national park authority.
June 11, 2025

Council liability in cases of personal injury suffered on public highways

Thom Lumley and Catherine Zakarias-Welch analyse another significant ruling on liability for injuries sustained on public highways, in which the court reinforced the considerable evidentiary responsibility resting with claimants.
June 11, 2025

Subsidy control: referral of subsidies

The financial threshold for referral of subsidies to the Competition Markets Authority is to increase from £10m to £25m with effect from 4 August 2025. Jonathan Branton and Alexander Rose assess the likely impact of the move and the further news that two new ‘streamlined routes’ will also be created.
June 11, 2025

Gas-fired power stations and greenhouse gas emissions

The Court of Appeal recently refused permission for a legal challenge to the Net Zero Teesside development consent order. Hereward Phillpot KC and Isabella Tafur explain why.
June 11, 2025

Clarity on solar ‘overplanting’

The High Court recently considered the role of a National Policy Statement in an ‘overplanted’ solar farm development with capacity under 50MW. Katherine Evans examines the ruling.
June 11, 2025

Gas-fired power stations and greenhouse gas emissions

The Court of Appeal recently refused permission for a legal challenge to the Net Zero Teesside development consent order. Hereward Phillpot KC and Isabella Tafur explain why.
June 10, 2025

Court gives clarity on consultations : R (The National Council for Civil Liberties) and others v The Secretary of State for the Home Department

Chloe Woodward and Joe Walker discuss a recent judgment on when engagement with third parties constitute a formal consultation and must therefore adhere to case law on being 'run fairly'.
June 06, 2025

Direct-action protest – do you need to consider injunctive relief?

Natalie Pratt looks at what local authorities and other organisations can do to prepare for direct-action protests.
June 06, 2025

Restrictive covenants and practical benefits

The Court of Appeal recently considered whether restrictive covenants in a lease provided the lessor, which was also the planning authority, with practical benefits of substantial value or advantage to it. Lina Mattsson looks at the lessons of the case.
June 06, 2025

Recent CPO compensation decisions

Sarah Sutherland reviews the most significant CPO compensation decisions made recently by the Upper Tribunal.
June 06, 2025

Section 106s and yet more reflection

John Pugh-Smith considers not only the “takeaways” from a recent case on publication of draft section 106 agreements, but also reflects on how the litigation could have been avoided or truncated had “ADR” (Alternative Dispute Resolution) been deployed.
June 06, 2025

Navigating automatic suspensions

Richard Binns, Ryan Jenkins and Luke Parry-Billings look at the issue of a “sufficiently serious” breach in an application to lift an automatic suspension in procurement proceedings.
June 06, 2025

Fact-finding hearings and allegations of rape

Although a private law children case, there are various points in a recent judgment from Mr Justice Hayden that are relevant to local authorities involved in public law children proceedings, write Joanna Thom and Harrison Engler.
June 06, 2025

The statutory duty under s.41 Highways Act 1980

Carol Cheng makes some observations on two different public liability cases alleging breach of statutory duty under s.41 Highways Act 1980 (Duty to maintain highways maintainable at public expense) which gave rise to different outcomes.
June 04, 2025

Who inspects the inspectors?

Richard Dewsbery and Holly Sims explore why housing condition claims see the involvement of one or more (often two) experts.
June 04, 2025

Expert witness functions in the housing disrepair sector

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recently issued a practice alert after receiving reports condemning the quality of expert witness functions being performed in the housing disrepair sector by its members. Bethan Jones examines the issue.
June 04, 2025

Lessons from regulatory inspections of local authorities

Darren Hooker sets out the key learning points arising from the Regulator of Social Housing’s inspections of local authorities.
June 04, 2025

The importance of vacant possession

Stephen Postlethwaite considers a recent county court case which highlighted the importance of ensuring the property a registered provider or local authority is purchasing has vacant possession.
June 04, 2025

Housing case law update: May 2025

Karen Smith, Emily Howe and Sumi Begum round up the latest housing law cases of interest to housing associations and local authorities.
June 04, 2025

Right to buy fraud – an overview of the criminal dimension

Andrew Lane looks at the potential for criminal proceedings in relation to false application for the right to buy.
May 30, 2025

The Court of Appeal on revocation of adoption orders

Catherine Ellis considers the implications of the ruling in Re X&Y on the High Court’s ability to revoke adoption orders.
May 30, 2025

Now build

Simon Ricketts looks at the Government’s white paper on speeding up homes being built and its technical consultation on requiring transparency and accountability measures for build out rates on housing sites.
May 29, 2025

Is overheard 'banter' harassment?

Over the recent weeks, there have been concerns raised about the reintroduction of employer liability for third-party harassment of staff. It can be easy to dismiss the concerns as alarmist, but there are important issues for employers in this new liability, write Michael Brownlee and Libby Hubbard.
May 29, 2025

Who runs councils in no overall control?

Geoff Wild looks at the key considerations where elections see local authorities left in ‘no overall control’.
May 29, 2025

Employment Rights Bill: key measures and next steps

Paula Kathrens sets out the principal elements of the Employment Rights Bill, which has been described as the biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation.
May 29, 2025

NISTA Asset Condition Playbook – Key insights

Alison Martin, Ioan Davies and Thomas Hurst highlight some key points for consideration in NISTA’s Asset Condition Playbook.
May 29, 2025

Information governance and AI

What is the role of IG professionals in AI governance? Ibrahim Hasan explains.
May 29, 2025

12 things any new private finance model must address

New private finance models appear to be on the horizon. If that is true, how do we make them a success? Adrian Turner explains.
May 27, 2025

URS Corporation Limited v BDW Trading Limited [2025] UKSC 21 – Supreme Court hands down significant judgment for the construction industry

Helen Arthur explores a recent Supreme Court judgment on building safety in high-rise buildings, explaining what the decision means for defects claims.
May 23, 2025

Intentional homelessness and temporary accommodation

The Court of Appeal has recently considered whether a claimant was intentionally homeless after he refused hotel accommodation. Catherine Rowlands analyses the ruling.
May 22, 2025

Disability discrimination and proportionality in housing management

The High Court recently upheld a possession order against a tenant who is a hoarder, rejecting a submission that the first instance judge's conclusion that the social landlord had acted proportionately was wrong. John Murray sets out the lessons from the case.
May 22, 2025

Putting more ‘A’ into ‘ADR’

John Pugh-Smith explains how alternative dispute resolution can be made to work at different stages of a dispute.
May 21, 2025

Care orders and consent to the deprivation of liberty of children

Joanne Clement KC and Samuel Willis analyse an important Court of Appeal case on Article 5 and the deprivation of liberty of children.
May 21, 2025

Delay and the 26-week time limit

Katharine Brown looks at three recent decisions in which delay and the statutory time limit of 26 weeks for care proceedings were considered.
May 21, 2025

The interplay of public children and Nigerian law

Abimbola Badejo looks at the considerations that need to be made when applying Nigerian law to family law cases in the public sector.
May 21, 2025

Local inquiries into Child Sexual Exploitation are merely pins on a map; a national inquiry is needed to string them together

With Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s audit of child sexual exploitation underway, and the government backing local inquiries, the controversy remains. Henry Bermingham argues that whilst these local inquiries can drive change on a small scale, they will fail to address the full causes of child sexual exploitation.
May 21, 2025

How do you protect your staff from parental aggression and abuse?

Teachers often choose their profession driven by a desire to positively shape and inspire future generations. However, they are increasingly encountering abuse from parents, both in person and online. Alexandra Addington looks at the legal options for addressing the issue.
May 21, 2025

Cross-border deprivation of liberty

A senior Court of Protection judge recently rejected an application by a Scottish local authority for recognition and enforcement of a guardianship order made in Scotland. The Court of Protection team at 39 Essex Chambers analyse the ruling.
May 21, 2025

Infections and the broad canvas of evidence

The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal by a local authority over a judge’s finding that a six-year-old girl had contracted gonorrheoa as a result of fomite transmission. Avaia Williams looks at the lessons from the ruling.
May 21, 2025

Dealing with unexplained deaths and inquests

Narin Masera sets out some key considerations for local authorities when dealing with an unexpected death.
May 21, 2025

Court of Protection case update: May 2025

Sarah Hutchinson rounds up the latest Court of Protection rulings of interest to practitioners.
May 21, 2025

Catch me if you can: Local government blazes a trail in increased SME spending

Juli Lau and Natasha Barlow take readers through the report published by the BCC on procurement spending.
May 21, 2025

Changing Course: Navigating Variations Under JCT and NEC Contracts

Tiah Weekes explains the process of changes to contracts in the field of construction.
May 21, 2025

Lessons in public consultation: High Court finds failures in local authority’s consideration of consultation responses

George McLellan and Samuel Hart explore the High Court decision ruling that Lambeth Council broke the law in the process of establishing an LTN in the borough.
May 15, 2025

Grievance and disciplinary processes

Nikolas Clarke sets out some practical points for employers when it comes to grievance and disciplinary processes.

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