A KC has issued a plea to housing law specialists for help continuing a popular blog set up by solicitor Giles Peaker, who died earlier this year. Nearly Legal, which Peaker set up in 2006, was a go-to resource for lawyers, judges, academics and the public.
Landmark Chambers barrister Justin Bates KC, who drafted the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act with Peaker, announced this week that following discussions with Peaker’s wife, he will take control of the site and keep it going with the same detailed coverage that Peaker provided.
‘Given his super-human capacity for work, that’ll require a team of people,’ Bates said in a post on the website. ‘So, if you’re a lawyer with an interest in housing law, and you think you’d have capacity/interest in helping with [Nearly Legal] going forward, please can you contact me by email (jbates@landmarkchambers.co.uk).’
Bates hopes to have the the site up and running again by October.
The news was immediately welcomed. One legal professional described the website as a 'treasure' for housing advisers while another said: ‘That’s great news, this site has been absolutely invaluable to me in my career in local government. I’m so happy it will be continuing.’
Peaker was much loved within the housing law community. In 2018, he won the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award for housing. He told the ceremony that housing was the foundation for 'virtually everything', such as education, mental and physical health and employment. 'If you have not got a safe home, everything is at risk,' he said.
Peaker and Bates drafted the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act, which empowered tenants to take action against their landlords to fix hazards that pose a serious threat to their health or wellbeing.
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