The launch of a court dedicated to housing is still being considered by the Government.
Last October, Sajid Javid announced at a Conservative Party conference that the government would consult with the judiciary on streamlining the current system by introducing a court dedicated to housing.
At the time, the Housing, Communities and Local Government secretary stated that he would explore the possibility of a new court, assessing whether it would really bring benefits to tenants and landlords.
Following the announcement, the Law Society stressed that the proposals would require careful consideration, stressing that vulnerable people should not be excluded from access to legal advice.
Whilst there has been no news on this since, the recently launched consultation on housing sector redress does make a direct reference to the court signalling its ongoing consideration.
Point 37 of the consultation launched by the government last week reads: “The Government has committed to changing the law to require all landlords to join a redress scheme making sure that every tenant has access to effective dispute resolution. Some complaints and cases, such as possession claims taken by landlords are not within a redress scheme’s remit. Such cases will continue to be dealt with by the courts and are not within the scope of this consultation. Separate work is underway with the Ministry of Justice to explore how we might improve court processes, including considering the case for a new Housing Court.”
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told the Law Gazette that it is currently working with the justice ministry to understand the issues around the existing system, as well as looking at the experiences of those who have been through the process.
