Genevieve Screeche-Powell

Genevieve’s judicial review practice includes challenges to public housing policy, Care Act and Children Act cases.

Her other local government work includes:

• recovery of care home fees
• applications under the Mental Health Act
• data protection and confidentiality
• public interest immunity issues,
• civil/general restraint orders against vexatious litigants.

Genevieve’s housing practice has a particular emphasis on public policy. She undertakes junior and leading work at appellate level and has been involved in numerous high-profile and politically sensitive cases.

• Fatolahzadeh v London Borough of Barnet [2025] EWCA Civ 1174 (18 September 2025) – as sole counsel defended successful local authority on suitability of accommodation offered in performance of prevention duty, 1st time  the Court of Appeal had to consider nature and impact of s. 189A Housing Act duties on lawful performance of s.195 prevention duty in section 204 appeal proceedings.
•  Begum, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets [2025] EWCA Civ 1049 – led by Kelvin Rutledge KC, defended local authority’s use of a homelessness database, the court upheld its legality and that it did not breach the public sector equality duty nor discriminate indirectly against women.

Genevieve was lead counsel for successful local authorities in the Court of Appeal cases of:

• Cifci v London Borough of Sutton [2025] EWCA Civ 1480 (the role of causation in the meaning of being “homeless intentionally” under section 191(1) of the Housing Act 1996)
• Moge v London Borough of Ealing [2023] EWCA Civ 464 (power to admit fresh evidence when applicant’s case changed over course of review and appeal)
• Abdikadir v London Borough of Ealing [2022] EWCA Civ 979 (Housing Act appeal: failure to notify another local authority of out-of-borough placement did not mean review decision unlawful when applicant refused accommodation offered).

She appeared against lead counsel and a junior and was successful on her client’s behalf in:

• LB v London Borough of Tower Hamlets [2020] EWCA Civ 439 (previously untested legal issue of at what point in time future risk of domestic violence be assessed when applicant has been found to be homeless intentionally).

Genevieve also acts in cases with capacity issues, fraud, public law defences, and disability discrimination.

Possession claims, anti-social behaviour, service charge disputes, rent reviews, adverse possession, mortgages and land charges.

Contract disputes, business leases (mixture of local authority and commercial clients), debt/asset recovery, banking litigation.

• Cifci v London Borough of Sutton [2025] EWCA Civ 1480 (the role of causation in the meaning of being “homeless intentionally” under section 191(1) of the Housing Act 1996)
• Fatolahzadeh v London Borough of Barnet [2025] EWCA Civ 1174 (18 September 2025) defended successful local authority on suitability of accommodation offered in performance of prevention duty, 1st time  the Court of Appeal had to consider nature and impact of s. 189A Housing Act duties on lawful performance of s.195 prevention duty in section 204 appeal proceedings
• R(Begum) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Shelter Intervening) [2024] EWHC 2279 (Admin),  acted for the successful local authority in resisting a claim of indirect sex discrimination in a homelessness judicial review claim.
• Moge v London Borough of Ealing [2023] EWCA Civ 464 Leading counsel to successful local authority about the court’s power to admit fresh evidence when an applicant’s case has changed over the course of a review and appeal, and fairness to a local authority.
• Abdikadir v London Borough of Ealing [2022] EWCA Civ 979. Leading counsel in Housing Act appeal where Court of Appeal determined failure to notify another local authority of an out-of-borough placement did not mean the review decision was unlawful when an applicant had refused an offer of accommodation.

• New Law Journal, 3 October 2025: No discrimination by database
• Local Government Lawyer, 30 September 2025: Suitability of accommodation offered in performance of the prevention duty
• LexisNexis 26 September 2025: Homelessness and equality—council database not indirect discrimination against women (R(Begum) v LB Tower Hamlets)
• Local Government Lawyer, 15 August 2025: Allocation of temporary accommodation, transfer lists and discrimination
• Local Government Lawyer, 5 May 2023: The duty to accommodate and out-of-borough housing

• BA (Warwick)

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