Joshua Dubin

Practice

Joshua is a specialist housing lawyer, dealing regularly with possession, warrants, disrepair, anti-social behaviour, unlawful eviction and neighbour disputes. His public law practice in the Administrative and County Courts includes homelessness, allocations, human rights, disability discrimination and community care (including age assessment).

Joshua is Head of the Civil and Public Law Group for 2010/11. He is also Head of the Housing Team and a member of Chambers’ Executive Committee.

Notable Cases

> Thomas-Ashley v Drum Housing Association Ltd [2010] EWCA Civ 265; (2010) 107(13) LSG 17; [2010] NPC 36: what is the extent of a social landlord’s duty to alter its letting terms under ss 24A and 24D Disability Discrimination Act 1995?

> R (on the application of Aweys & others) v Birmingham City Council [2007] EWHC (Admin) 52: challenge to lawfulness of allocation scheme’s failure to secure reasonable preference for homeless applicants in unsuitable accommodation provided under s 193(2) Housing Act 1996; breach of Art 8 ECHR. See also Ali v Birmingham CC [2009] UKSC 8 (not overturned on the allocations point).

> Newham LBC v Anwar Ali (2004) Feb Legal Action 31: whether a local authority may rely on Ground 1, Schedule 2, Housing Act 1985 in cases of overcrowding and thereby avoid the requirement to provide suitable alternative accommodation.

> R (on the application of Ahmed) v Waltham Forest LBC [2001] EWHC (Admin) 540, (2001) Oct Legal Action 17; [2001] JHL D99: whether there is a continuing duty to provide interim accommodation under s 188, Housing Act 1996 in the absence of a specific request from an applicant.

Publications

‘Unfair terms in tenancies and related issues’, Current Law Week Focus, Vol 11 Issue 12/2003

Memberships

Clarity (an international association promoting plain legal language) Housing Law Practitioners’ Association London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association Member of Middle Temple (Harmsworth Entrance Exhibitioner)

Lectures to

Solicitors and not-for-profit organizations on all aspects of housing law

Part-time External Tutor in Public Law (Judicial Review), Bar Vocational Course, BPP (London) (2006, 2007)

Specialisms

Community Care
Housing
Homelessness
Judicial Review
Landlord & Tenant
Human Rights