Stephen Reeder

Stephen Reeder has specialised in housing & social welfare law, public & adminstrative law, and human rights since being called to the Bar. Chambers UK Guide to the Bar lists him as a leading junior and comments "with Reeder it's not just about another brief fee : he offers an excellent standard of client care". The 2007 Guide describes him as "as a charming and effective advocate".

He has extensive advisory experience in relation to homelessness, housing management, social housing allocations, community care, mental health and public law relating to children.

Stephen is an experienced advocate before all levels of tribunal including the Court of Appeal and House of Lords. His county court practice concentrates on homelessness appeals under the Housing Act 1996 and complex private law litigation. His Administrative Court practice takes in all aspects of housing, community care, mental health and public law children's rights. His human rights practice concentrates on socio-economic rights and Article 6, Article 8 & Article 1 of the First Protocol.

He has a particular interest in the rights of ex-offenders, children leaving the secure estate, clients suffering mental disability and older clients. He regularly accepts instructions in cases where the Official Solicitor acts for patients or children.

His private law work has included a number of multi-party actions relating to major redevelopment programmes, estate disrepair, infestations, pollution and inherent defects. He was involved in the Kinghold Estate, Five Estates, Wellington Estate and Marquess Estate litigation. His work representing the occupiers over a number of years during the mjaor regeneration of the Marquess Estate in Islington was widely reported in the legal and mainstream press. Individual private law cases include disability discrimination relating to housing provision and management, and public law defences to private law claims.

He regularly undertakes advisory and litigation work for central and local government, registered social landlords and trades unions. This client group values his combination of legal specialism, commercial acumen, clear advice and tenacious advocacy.

He is an experienced trainer, lecturer and author in his specialisms. He has contributed to Legal Network Television, advised Centrepoint, and trained for Shelter. He has delivered lectures and presented seminars for the Housing Law Practitioners Association. He has delivered bespoke training for local authorities, registered social landlords and the Crown Estates. He is a contributor to the New Law Journal and the Butterworths Human Rights Online service. He is the human rights editor of Tottel's Older Client Law Service. He designs and helps deliver the annual seminar programme delivered by the Housing & Social Welfare Team at Doughty Street Chambers. The present programme can be viewed by going to this link.

Stephen is a CEDR and ADR Europe trained mediator. He was a founding partner of the 'Housing Mediation Service' which provides specialist mediators for housing & property related disputes. He has acted both as lead and second mediator in multi-party regeneration schemes, redevelopment schemes, decant programmes, disputes between social housing development partners, and latent defect disputes. He is also an experienced mediator in individual neighbour nuisance and ASB disputes. He appears in the Bar Council directory of barrister mediators.

Stephen is a Lawyer Chairman of the Residential Property Tribunal Service. In 2006 the Lord Chancellor appointed him to sit on the Eastern Circuit. He is a member of the Housing Law Practitioners Association (HLPA), the Administrative Bar Association (ABA), and the Human Rights Lawyers Association (HRLA).

Reports of Stephen's cases can be found not only in the general law reports but also in the Housing Law Reports, Current Law, Legal Action magazine, and Health & Housing Insight periodical. Such cases include Al-Ameri v Kensington & Chelsea RLBC (whether NASS dispersal creates local connection for later homelessness assistance post the grant of asylum or ELR), Ali & Nessa v Newham LBC (a judge finding procedural irregularity on a s.204 appeal is required to quash the review decision unless the decision maker would inevitably come to the same decision regardless), R v Tower Hamlets LBC, ex p. Uddin & Ors (challenge to unlawful policy for the assessment of the medical and social needs of housing transfer applicants), Hounslow LBC v McBride (a secure tenants consent to a possession order cannot give the court jurisdiction to grant the order as statute requires that the court be satisfied that it is reasonable to grant the order), Carty v Southwark LBC (exercise of the s.85(2)(b) Housing Act 1985 discretion to revive a tenancy), El-Yemlahi v Lambeth LBC (quashing of a homelessness review decision due to inadequate assessment of medical issues by medical adviser to the housing authority), R v Southwark LBC, ex p. Ryder (consideration of a carer as part of a homeless person's household), Lane & Ginda v Islington LBC (variation of adverse homelessness review decision based on inadequate enquiries), Newham LBC v Jacks (setting aside of executed possession warrant for procedural defect), Camden LBC v Butuyuyu (defence of reasonable excuse available to statutory nuisance prosecution notwithstanding failure to appeal justification under statutory regulations), Southall v West Wiltshire DC (quashing of review decision for misdirection on test for intentional homelessness), William Sutton Housing Trust v Breen (setting aside executed possession warrant due to oppression), Ibrahim v Islington LBC (statutory nuisance conviction resulting from inadequate noise insulation causing injury to health), Hassan v Greenwich LBC (statutory nuisance conviction resulting from condensation dampness and mould growth), Crowe v Tower Hamlets LBC (statutory nuisance conviction resulting from condensation dampness and mould growth), Saunders v Community Housing Association (civil liability for noise nuisance), Wandsworth LBC v Strachan (setting aside executed possession warrant due to oppression), Johnson v Hackney LBC (statutory nuisance conviction resulting from inadequate noise insulation causing injury to health), Hawa Ali v Newham LBC (quashing of homelessness review decision and burden of making enquiries on issue of racial harassment), Woodrow v Lewisham LBC (variation of adverse homelessness decision after misdirection on test for vulnerability), R (Chu) v Lambeth LBC (a section 193(6) Housing Act 1996 duty discharge decision must be notified with reasons and carries a right to review), and R (Kennedy) v Islington LBC (grant of an interim order for accommodation pending review even though likely to be determinative of substantive claim.

last updated January 2008

Year of Call

1991

Education

LLB

Email Address

s.reeder@doughtystreet.co.uk

Specialist Teams

Stephen Reeder is a member of the following specialist law teams:

• Housing and Social Welfare
• Human Rights
• Mental Health
• Public and Administrative Law