Post by Patrick Torsney on Feb 5, 2011 11:38:21 GMT 1
High Court quashes London Councils plan to cut £10m from grants scheme
On Friday (28th Jan) a High Court judge quashed a decision by London Councils to cut £10m from its £26.4m grants scheme to voluntary organisations in the capital
Mr Justice Calvert-Smith ruled that the group’s consultation process was flawed and that they had not met their statutory equality duties. He ordered the group to re-run its consultation process with full equality impact assessments
The judicial review proceedings were brought by service users of two of the organisations affected by London Councils’ proposed cuts
Louise Whitfield, a solicitor at law firm Pierce Glynn who acted for the claimants, said:
“This case establishes that even in the current economic climate, it remains of paramount importance that public sector funding cut decisions are properly assessed for their gender, disability and race equality impacts. If they are not, public sector funding cut decisions will be unlawful.”
Whitfield said London Councils’ proposed cuts would have affected more than 200 voluntary and community sector organisations in London, and tens of thousands of Londoners
A spokesman for London Councils said the group would not be commenting until the judicial review hearing comes to a conclusion, which is expected to be on Tuesday 1 February
[Piece above courtesy of localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/]
[Edit: London Councils subsequently lost the Judicial Review]
On Friday (28th Jan) a High Court judge quashed a decision by London Councils to cut £10m from its £26.4m grants scheme to voluntary organisations in the capital
Mr Justice Calvert-Smith ruled that the group’s consultation process was flawed and that they had not met their statutory equality duties. He ordered the group to re-run its consultation process with full equality impact assessments
The judicial review proceedings were brought by service users of two of the organisations affected by London Councils’ proposed cuts
Louise Whitfield, a solicitor at law firm Pierce Glynn who acted for the claimants, said:
“This case establishes that even in the current economic climate, it remains of paramount importance that public sector funding cut decisions are properly assessed for their gender, disability and race equality impacts. If they are not, public sector funding cut decisions will be unlawful.”
Whitfield said London Councils’ proposed cuts would have affected more than 200 voluntary and community sector organisations in London, and tens of thousands of Londoners
A spokesman for London Councils said the group would not be commenting until the judicial review hearing comes to a conclusion, which is expected to be on Tuesday 1 February
[Piece above courtesy of localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/]
[Edit: London Councils subsequently lost the Judicial Review]