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Stephen Pierce
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Background
Stephen
Pierce is one of the founding partners of the firm.
After several years working in the advice sector, Stephen qualified
as a solicitor in 1990. Having previously headed the housing law departments
at Steel & Shamash and Fisher Meredith solicitors, he joined Polly
Glynn in establishing Pierce Glynn in 1997. |
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Expertise
In the Chambers legal directory, Stephen is ranked in category 1 for
his housing and community care work, described as "enormously
experienced" and credited with "always
remaining calm and logical, even under the most testing conditions."
While expert in all aspects of housing, community care and social
security law, Stephen has special expertise in acting for those who
lack mental capacity in a wide range of social welfare law cases;
he is regularly instructed by the Official Solicitor and by relatives
in such cases. Stephen is experienced in conducting 'best interests'
cases in the High Court and more recently welfare cases in the Court of Protection.
Stephen is also very experienced in social security law. He sits as
a part-time Tribunal Judge in the First Tier of the Social Entitlement
Chamber hearing social security appeals. He has contributed to the Disability Rights Handbook.
He wrote the chapters on social security law and housing law in the
first and second editions of the Legal Action Group's Support
for Asylum Seekers handbook.
Stephen has written many articles and reviews, most recently co-authoring
a series of articles on social welfare law and legal aid for Legal
Action magazine. Stephen has delivered training to other lawyers
in housing, community care and social security law.
Stephen is a member of the editorial board of the Community
Care Law Reports. Stephen sits on the management
committee of the Legal Aid Practitioner's Group. Stephen is an independent
costs assessor for the Legal Services Commission.
Whilst Stephen's primary focus remains on social welfare law, Stephen
has extensive experience of conducting judicial review cases in the
Administrative Court and the Court of Appeal. In particular, Stephen
is very experienced in migrant support law, particularly where complex
issues of EC law are raised.
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Reported cases
Significant cases in which Stephen has represented
include:
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R (Barry) v L B Southwark (Court of Appeal) –
meaning of ‘worker’ in EU law |
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CJSA/2663/2006 - Jobseeker’s Allowance
regulations discriminate against lone parent students contrary
to the Human Rights Act |
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R (M) v Islington LBC et al (Court of Appeal)
– inadequate consideration of Human Rights Act in refusing
Children Act assistance |
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R v L B Southwark ex p Khana et al (Court of
Appeal) – provision of community care services to disabled,
older person lacking mental capacity |
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L B Camden v Goldenberg (Court of Appeal) –
tenant entitled to succeed to secure tenancy |
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R v Lambeth LBC ex p Wilson (Court of Appeal) –
failure to provide suitable accommodation and wasted costs order made
against local authority |
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