Solicitors, Leeds
Welcome to our Public and Regulatory Law team, part of the Civil Department which also covers housing, community care, education, employment, welfare benefits, and debt.
Public law is about people challenging unlawful decisions, policies, and practices of public bodies. That includes challenges against councils, government departments, health authorities, and so on.read more »
Dale Farm / Gypsies and Travellers / Eviction / Basildon / Leeds solicitors / Human Rights / Court of Appeal
Basildon Council has won its appeal against the High Court judgment. The Court of Appeal has overturned the findings of the lower Court that the Council’s actions to evict the residents of Dale Farm by direct action was unlawful.
The House of Lords refused a further appeal.read more »
The decision by Basildon Council to evict Travellers from their site at Dale Farm in Essex was overturned in the High Court today (Friday 9 May 2008) Read the full judgment...
Read the Davies Gore Lomax Media Release...
THE family of a drug addict who died in prison say they have finally got justice after the Government spent £150m on treatment in jails.
Judith McGlinchey, jailed for four months in 1998 for shoplifting to feed her heroin addiction, was subjected to "inhuman and degrading treatment", the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2003. read more »
Plans to demolish 156 homes near the centre of Darwen in Lancashire remain on hold after the High Court recently turned down the local council's bid to lift an injunction preventing the clearance.
Read the full story in the Lancashire Telegraph
Our solicitors
Keith Lomax, BSc, PhD. Partner.
Qualified 1988.
Keith Lomax is head of the Civil Department, which includes housing, education, employment, community care, public law, welfare benefits, and debt. He has specialised in housing since he qualified as a solicitor and has developed particular interest and experience in public law and human rights, regulatory law, planning, employment, education, and community care. He has expertise in Gypsy and Traveller law. He has taken cases to the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords, and the European Court of Human Rights. Keith is a member of the Environmental Law Foundation. He is a member of the Housing Law Practitioner’s Association.
Elsia Todd, BA.
Assistant Solicitor – qualified 2003
Elsia trained within this firm and developed particular expertise in housing law: defending tenants from eviction, claiming damages for disrepair, challenging the Council to help homeless people. She helps run the duty solicitor scheme at Leeds County Court when people are facing eviction from their homes. She has expertise in representing people accused of anti-social behaviour. She also works in community care matters. She has considerable experience working with people with mental health problems. She conducts Judicial Review challenges in the High Court and has taken cases to the Court of Appeal. Elsia is a member of the Housing Law Practitioner’s Association.
Keith Coughtrie, BA.
Assistant Solicitor – qualified 2003
Keith Coughtrie specialises in public law matters and housing. He has extensive experience of challenging public authorities by Judicial Review proceedings in the High Court. He has long experience in Gypsy and Traveller law and has developed skills in planning matters. He has experience in asylum seeker support work. He assists with the duty solicitor scheme at the County Court defending people from eviction.
Clare Hirschhorn, BA.
Assistant Solicitor – qualified 2004
Clare has a background of work in the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and then trained within this firm and developed expertise in housing. She is in charge of administering the duty solicitor scheme at Leeds County Court when people are facing eviction. She conducts disrepair claims, defends possession proceedings, represents people in anti-social behaviour cases. She also has expertise in welfare benefits and has taken cases to the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Clare is a member of the Housing Law Practitioner’s Association.
Tom Lomax, BSc. MSc.
Assistant Solicitor
Tom has a background in science, philosophy and international environment and indigenous rights work, and is presently working in our Civil department on housing, public law and human rights, regulatory law, education, and employment matters. He also has experience of asylum seeker cases. He is also working with the charity FERN on a project concerning law reform and governance in respect of forest community land rights in Liberia and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan. In this capacity Tom has authored a report entitled ‘Forest Governance in Liberia’, published by FERN in January 2008.
Our support staff
Graham Alexander, BA.
Legal Assistant
Graham has a background working in the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and is now working with our housing, welfare benefits, education, and community care teams. Graham specialises in welfare benefits and debt. He takes cases to tribunals and by Judcial Review to the High Court.
Our secretarial support
Ann Bennett
Alison Haggart