Related news - Genevieve Screeche-Powell

Genevieve Screeche-Powell acted for the local authority that successfully defended a s. 204 Housing Act 1996 appeal brought by a homeless applicant. This is the 1st time that the Court of Appeal has had to consider the nature and impact of the s. 189A Housing Act duties on the lawful performance of the s.195 prevention duty in section 204 appeal proceedings.

Genevieve Screeche-Powell led by Kelvin Rutledge KC acted for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to successfully resist an appeal about the local authority’s use of a database of homeless applicants awaiting transfer to alternative temporary accommodation. The appellant, Ms Begum had claimed that the system of allocating temporary accommodation indirectly discriminated against women.

In R(Begum) v London Borough of Tower Hamlets (Shelter Intervening) [2024] EWCA 2279 (Admin), a homelessness judicial review claim, Genevieve Screeche-Powell acted for the successful local authority in resisting a claim of indirect sex discrimination.

Genevieve Screeche-Powell and Clare Cullen represented the local authority in the case of  Moge v London Borough of Ealing [2023] EWCA Civ 464. The Court of Appeal held that the local authority complied with its duty to accommodate as far as reasonably practicable in its area.