We are pleased to announce that SHLA has been successfully joined as an intervenor in the up-coming Court of Appeal hearing in Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council.
Dame Andrews LJ has granted SHLA’s application for permission to intervene. Our Co-Chair, Katrina Robinson MBE, of Capsticks LLP, prepared the evidence on which SHLA relied to obtain permission. Barrister and SHLA Committee Member, Elizabeth England, of Five Paper, will present SHLA’s case at the Court of Appeal.
This case is important for Registered Providers of Social Housing because it concerns the place of Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) in civil proceedings. One specific question is whether ADR, including the exhaustion of an organisation’s internal complaints procedure, should be compulsory before a civil claim can be issued. The issue is particularly pertinent for Social Landlords who often face claims for disrepair from claimants who do not follow the pre-action protocol before issuing a claim.
The appeal will be heard later in the year. We will keep you all posted.
