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Property law & the COVID-19 pandemic

09 July 2020 / Philip Sissons
Issue: 7894 / Categories: Features , Covid-19 , Property , Landlord&tenant
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Will the easing of lockdown restrictions also unleash a wave of property related litigation? Phil Sissons, Falcon Chambers

Introduction

At this stage of the pandemic, it feels trite to say that the impact upon property law has been both profound and unprecedented. Even the devastating financial crash of 2008 did not have the same all-encompassing impact on the day-to-day use of property of all types. Faced with this crisis, the immediate focus has, of necessity, been on the rapidly implemented procedural restrictions (to say nothing of the practical problems of conducting litigation in lockdown). The general stay on possession proceedings implemented via PD 51Z has already been considered three times by the Court of Appeal: (London Borough of Hackney v Okoro [2020] EWCA Civ 681, [2020] All ER (D) 154 (May); Arkin v Marshall [2020] EWCA Civ 620, [2020] All ER (D) 65 (May); TFS Stores Limited v The Designer Retail Outlet Centres (Mansfield) General Partner Limited [2020] EWCA Civ 833). The moratorium on forfeiture for

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Freeths—Ruth Clare

Freeths—Ruth Clare

National real estate team bolstered by partner hire in Manchester

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Farrer & Co—Claire Gordon

Partner appointed head of family team

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

mfg Solicitors—Neil Harrison

Firm strengthens agriculture and rural affairs team with partner return

NEWS
Conveyancing lawyers have enjoyed a rapid win after campaigning against UK Finance’s decision to charge for access to the Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has launched a recruitment drive for talented early career and more senior barristers and solicitors
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
A Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruling has reopened debate on the availability of ‘user damages’ in competition claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Edward Nyman of Hausfeld explains how the CAT allowed Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen’s alternative damages case against Meta to proceed, rejecting arguments that such damages are barred in competition law
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