Consultant
Email: bpd@dowse.co.uk
Bill graduated with Honours degree in Law. He began practising as a solicitor at Hackney Law Centre in 1982. In 1989 he moved to Dowse & Co where he was a partner from 1994 until 2018 and now practises as an independent consultant. Bill advises and acts for legally aided and private clients including businesses and community organisations. His work has included judicial reviews and cases in the Court of Appeal, Chancery Division and Employment Appeal Tribunal.
Specialisation:
Civil Litigation particularly disputes arising out of ownership of land including housing and commercial landlord and tenant disputes; planning law; Construction Disputes; Rights to Light; Party Wall and Neighbour Disputes; Adverse Possession; Public Regulatory Law including premises licensing, social provision and environmental health; Employment Law particularly discrimination and victimisation; General Common Law Litigation.
Notable cases:
● Watt v Hackney LBC: judicial review: Planning Court and Court of Appeal: planning permission was quashed because erroneous advice to the Committee resulted in a decision amounting to an error of law. Permission later granted to appeal against the costs award which had limited the entitlement from the date when the defendant admitted its error.
● Grant v Broadway Investments (Hackney) Ltd: Court of Appeal: the Court’s limited discretion to postpone forfeiture of mixed use commercial/residential tenancies.
● OPEN v Hackney LBC: judicial review: injunction and costs awarded following an apparent attempt to demolish without full planning permission.
● Deutsch v Hackney LBC: Judicial review: time limit to challenge a controlled parking designation governed by Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984.
● Ibrahim v Dovecorn Reversions Ltd: Chancery appeal: the liability of freeholders for the repair of shared building structures
● Parmar & Nagra v Ford Motor Company (Dagenham): race discrimination and victimisation resulting in total compensation of £500,000 and pension benefits.
● Louis v Sadiq: Court of Appeal: liability of house owner for damages arising from party wall works causing trespass and nuisance.
● Mullen v Hackney LBC: Court of Appeal: a judge’s entitlement to rely upon his own knowledge of earlier breaches when imposing a fine for contempt of an undertaking given to the Court.
● C (a minor) v Hackney LBC: Court of Appeal: the independent rights of children to compensation for personal injury arising from landlord’s failure to repair.
● Edwards v Highbury Corner Magistrates: judicial review: entitlement to prosecute under Environmental Protection Act 1990 despite existence of related civil proceedings.
● Barratt v Lounova (1982) Ltd: Court of Appeal: landlord’s duty to repair absent express obligation and establishing a fund to meet the costs of works in default.