Gareth Hutton

Family/Civil

Background

Whilst completing his undergraduate degree, Gareth was a mooting competition finalist and negotiation competition quarter-finalist.

Whilst completing the BPTC at BPP University Leeds, Gareth was involved in Pro Bono work for the Legal Advice Clinic, giving free legal advice and assistance on family and civil law issues. He was also the student representative for the Middle Temple and a finalist in both the Plea in Mitigation and ADR competitions.

Following completion of the BPTC, Gareth worked at a national legal aid solicitors' firm in the housing and social welfare department. He worked on various aspects of housing law, with Children Act 1989 elements, including homelessness applications, all aspects of the Housing Act 1996, newly enacted Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and Children Act 1989 duties to homelessness applicants and judicial review against local authorities for their failure to comply with those duties; bringing Housing Act 1996 appeals at the County Court, including drafting grounds of appeal, skeleton arguments and witness statements; conducting hearings in front of local authority panels and decision makers for clients; landlord and tenant disputes including disrepair, possession proceedings, unlawful evictions; and, harassment and injunctions under the Protection from Harassment Act 1977.

Gareth was also responsible for two reported cases whilst at the firm, one of which was a successful judicial review against a local authority, and the other was a Court of Appeal case. He was also responsible for successfully ensuring that local authorities engaged in their Children Act housing duties by proposing judicial review proceedings as a failure to comply.

Scholarships:

Benefactors Scholarship - Middle Temple

BBP University Leeds Regional Scholarship

BPP University Leeds 4x4 Advocacy Scholarship