020 7242 4986 or 0333 240 0591 London | Birmingham | Cardiff
Richard is a public law barrister who enjoys applying the law to build and maintain sustainable communities.
He advises and represents a wide range of public authorities, including local councils, government departments and police forces, as well as private individuals, companies and interest groups.
Richard is a deep specialist in the regulation of investigatory powers, including confiscation proceedings and police law. He is an expert in computer misuse and cyber security, building on his academic research on denial of service attacks at the University of Cambridge.
Richard is a public law barrister who enjoys applying the law to build and maintain sustainable communities. He advises and represents a wide range of public authorities, including local councils, government departments and police forces, as well as private individuals, companies and interest groups.
Having volunteered as a police officer for 13 years, Richard is well-equipped to provide highly practical and realistic advice alongside robust and persuasive advocacy inside and outside court. He has extensive experience of managing anti-social behaviour, disorder within licensed premises and persistent breaches of planning control, supporting clients to navigate challenging legal landscapes to achieve a just outcome for communities, businesses and individuals.
Richard is a deep specialist in the regulation of investigatory powers, including confiscation proceedings and police law. He is an expert in computer misuse and cyber security, building on his academic research on denial of service attacks at the University of Cambridge.
Richard serves as a reservist in the Royal Air Force, where he is working towards a commission in the RAF Legal Branch. He aspires to complement his public law practice by delivering operational legal advice to military commanders, contributing to the development of international legal doctrine on the role of cyber capabilities in hybrid warfare.
Licensing - "We all love Richard. Nothing fazes him and our cases, some of which involve very difficult personalities, are dealt with using wit, charm and humour." Legal 500 2022
Licensing - "Has a sophisticated licensing practice focusing on complex taxi cases. He is also able to assist with night venue licensing disputes. He appears in cases all levels of the court system. Strengths: "He has a good legal mind." "He is particularly excellent in cross-examination." Chambers and Partners 2021
Richard has experience of working for landlords and tenants across a wide range of housing law issues, including social housing fraud, anti-social behaviour, unlawful evictions, closure orders, injunctions, committal applications, and improvement notices.
Richard is able to offer a full service to housing professionals and tenants across the civil and criminal courts, taking particular pride in drafting notices, pleadings, advices, summonses and skeleton arguments as well as in his oral advocacy.
Having spent time seconded to social landlords, Richard has a front-line insight into the pressures faced by public authorities in this area, and values the opportunity to see cases through from beginning to end.
Richard has particular strengths in housing fraud, owing to his police experience in fraud investigation. He has civil and criminal experience in unlawful subletting and benefit fraud cases, and has acted in cases involving unlawful profit orders and confiscation proceedings. Richard has similar experience in succession and abandonment claims.
Recently, Richard has produced skeleton arguments challenging prosecutions brought in default of housing notices, persuading the prosecution to withdraw proceedings altogether on evidential or public interest grounds. Richard regularly contributes to seminars and publications on housing law matters. He wrote a paper on investigating housing fraud for the last Cornerstone Housing Day and writes for the quarterly Cornerstone Housing Newsletter.
Particular experience includes:
Richard has considerable knowledge of licensing matters having spent time on secondment to both licensing authorities and a leading firm of licensing solicitors. He acts for both applicants and authorities in a range of licensing areas.
Richard's experience encompasses premises licensing (vertical drinking, public houses, restaurants, hotels, off licences and festivals), taxi licensing, sexual entertainment venues, tables & chairs, street trading, and house-to-house collection licences. In a national context, Richard has been seconded to the Gambling Commission, affording him a valuable insight into gaming regulation and remote betting operator licensing in particular.
Richard accepts instructions to appear in courts of all levels, as well as at committee meetings and tribunal hearings. Drawing on his experience as a police officer, Richard is able to give practical advice on how best to prepare a case for hearing, as well as on the merits of further appeal.
Richard has worked to train local councillors on their powers and duties in taxi licensing appeals, and recently contributed to a 'ready reference' guide to reforms to regulated entertainment.
Richard has been involved in a number of planning law matters, particularly in relation to planning enforcement, on behalf of local authorities, landowners, objectors and developers. His experience spans enforcement notices, injunctions, prosecutions, and confiscation proceedings.
Richard has assisted with reviewing chapters of Cornerstone on the Planning Court. He has an active interest in the merits of planning decisions and continues to build on his exposure to planning law during pupillage.
Recent experience includes:
Richard has an active interest in judicial review claims and is able to advise on public law challenges in a range of contexts.
Richard has assisted with advice on a judicial review of the Cabinet Office relating to a licensing decision, and on reviews of decisions taken on homelessness applications.
Richard's local government experience spans a range of sectors including real property, highways, traffic regulation, and infrastructure. His experiences on secondment to local authorities equip him well to understand the competing priorities and political dimensions that shape Council decision-taking.
During pupillage he assisted with advice to a local authority on a contentious issue arising from a conflict between its duties to a leaseholder and its responsibility to preserve a vibrant cultural establishment. He assisted with advice to a Borough Council on to the extent to which it can compel the highway authority to make traffic regulation orders, and on the legal consequences of breaching of a long-standing but informal arrangement with a private company. Richard also conducted research behind Westlaw Insight articles on a range of topics in the local government sphere.
Owing to his PhD research in computers and law, Richard is particularly well-placed to advise on freedom of information and data protection requests to public authorities, as well as breaches of data security and privacy.
Richard has experience of a range of property law issues including adverse possession, forfeiture, service charges, leasehold enfranchisement, sale of land, and derogations from grant.
Richard is able to bring his understanding of planning, licensing and public law to property litigation. During his pupillage, Richard worked with Ranjit Bhose QC and Jon Holbrook on a number of property matters, with a particular focus on local authority duties towards leaseholders and licensees.
Recent experience includes:
Richard has experience of advising on, bringing and resisting appeals against decisions taken by a range of national and local public authorities, including the Cabinet Office, the Metropolitan Police Service, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Security Industry Authority. He has acted in environmental health matters and has an active interest in health and safety prosecutions: during pupillage he wrote an advice on conflicts of interest in fire safety prosecutions, and assisted with the environmental health prosecution of a tattoo parlour.
Richard has extensive experience of police discipline proceedings brought by the Metropolitan Police Service, British Transport Police and Kent Police, as well as related criminal proceedings. He has contributed to the upcoming second edition of Beggs and Davies on Police Misconduct, Complaints and Public Regulation, the main textbook in the police misconduct arena. He draws on insight from his experience as a police officer to provide informed advice on police powers, culture and policy.
22nd February 2021
Richard Hanstock of Cornerstone Barristers and Vicki Hanstock, Lawyer at One Legal, have written an article for the Housing Newsletter.
On 4 May 2021, regulations will bring into effect two new forms of debt respite: the Breathing Space Moratorium and the Mental Health Crisis Moratorium. These periods do not extinguish the debts, but they do prevent enforcement action being taken against debtors for as long as they have effect. This includes the taking of possession action or the institution of bankruptcy proceedings.
Read article HERE.
1st October 2017
In this article published by the Property Law Journal, Richard Hanstock examines the problems surrounding selective licensing schemes and discusses a recent unreported decision.
23rd May 2017
Richard Hanstock has written an article for LexisPSL on the legal fallout from NDA v EnergySolutions EU Ltd. Richard analyses the background to the dispute and looks at the terms of the independent inquiry which has been launched into the flawed public procurement procedure.
Click here to view the article.
10th February 2016
Richard Hanstock has contributed to two notes for Practical Law on the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
The first note looks at civil injunctions introduced under Part 1 of the Act and considers the procedural issues associated with applying for injunctions, breach and appealing against an injunction.
The second note looks at criminal behaviour orders introduced under Part 2 of the Act.
News: Housing
19th February 2021
By Richard Hanstock of Cornerstone Barristers, and Vicki Hanstock, Lawyer at One Legal, the shared legal services for Gloucester City, Stroud District, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Borough Councils. On 4 May 2021,....News: Licensing
Draft statutory guidance for taxi and PHV licensing: an end to localism?
27th February 2019
By Richard Hanstock In the wake of the Jay and Casey reports into the Rotherham child abuse scandal, the Department for Transport is consulting on new statutory guidance for local authorities....News: Housing
29th March 2018
It will not surprise anybody to hear that this has been a busy period for all those involved in housing. On a personal level, that has included a successful appearance....News: Housing
Cornerstone Barristers launches new blog on social housing fraud
15th February 2018
Following the book launch of Cornerstone on Social Housing Fraud early this month, its author Andy Lane and colleague Richard Hanstock announce their new blog dealing with this area of....News: Licensing
Cornerstone Barristers appointed to the Gambling Commission’s panel
14th February 2018
Cornerstone Barristers has been appointed to the Gambling Commission's standing panel of barristers' chambers to provide legal advice and representation for an initial period of three years. The team will be....News:
Richard Hanstock and Dr Ashley Bowes appointed to the Attorney General's C Panel
1st February 2018
We are proud to announce that the Attorney General has appointed Richard Hanstock and Dr Ashley Bowes to the C Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown for a period....News: Licensing
Betting industry bracing over new government consultation on gambling
31st October 2017
Betting industry bracing over new government consultation on gambling
....Case: Housing
Social housing fraud and ‘dishonesty’
26th October 2017
Social housing fraud and 'dishonesty'
....News: Housing
Supreme Court overhauls dishonesty test
25th October 2017
Supreme Court overhauls dishonesty test
....News: Housing
Property Law Journal - When is a "Part 3 house" not a house?
2nd October 2017
In an article for Property Law Journal, Richard Hanstock looks at the issues surrounding selective licensing schemes and discusses a recent unreported decision. Click here to read the article. This article was....News: Planning and Environment, Property, Licensing
Cornerstone Leisure Newsletter May 2017
24th May 2017
The Cornerstone Leisure Newsletter includes... Editor's Note - Josef Cannon Leisure development in the Green Belt – not all fun and games? - Martin Edwards Licensing Uber: Better the devil you know?....News: Planning and Environment,
LexisPSL: Errors in major public procurement projects
23rd May 2017
Richard Hanstock has written an article for LexisPSL on the legal fallout from NDA v EnergySolutions EU Ltd. Richard analyses the background to the dispute and looks at the terms....News: Planning and Environment
Hertsmere flytippers given suspended prison sentence
13th March 2017
Hertsmere Borough Council has successfully brought a prosecution against two fly tippers who were filmed on CCTV dumping large amounts of waste. Richard Hanstock was instructed by the Council. The case is....News: Public Law and Judicial Review, Housing
Estates Gazette - A vexed question
22nd February 2017
Richard Hanstock has co-authored an article with Anna Ralston of Nabarro LLP for Estates Gazette. The article considers selective licensing and the issues associated with a Part 3 house.....Case: Property, Licensing
22nd November 2016
The world-famous nightclub Fabric is once again to open its doors. The club was closed in September by Islington Council, as a result of deaths from drug overdoses at the club,....Case: Housing
London Borough of Waltham Forest v Tuitt: When is a house not a house?
14th November 2016
In the prosecution of three offences under Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004, Thames Magistrates' Court has held that each of the flats in a converted mid-terrace house is....News: Public Law and Judicial Review, Planning and Environment, Housing
Cornerstone Barristers Special Edition Housing Newsletter: Housing and Planning Act 2016
31st May 2016
The Cornerstone Housing Team has produced a special edition newsletter to highlight the main issues arising from the Housing and Planning Act 2016. The newsletter includes: The Housing and Planning Act....Case: Public Law and Judicial Review, Housing
High Court applies Denton principles in Council Tax Reduction appeal
9th May 2016
In Turner v South Cambridgeshire DC [2016] EWHC 1017 (Admin), the Administrative Court dismissed an appeal against a decision by the Valuation Tribunal for England to uphold a decision by a Council officer to cease to award Council Tax Reduction, following a failure by Mr Turner to comply with what was found to be a reasonable request for information within the terms of its reduction scheme.
....News: Public Law and Judicial Review, Licensing, Inquests and Inquiries
Parliamentary Inquiry into Prostitution
21st March 2016
A team from Cornerstone Barristers is advising a national feminist organisation appearing in an inquiry into prostitution. The Home Affairs Select Committee is conducting an inquiry into prostitution, and in particular....News: Public Law and Judicial Review, Housing
Practical Law - Anti-Social Behaviour
10th February 2016
Richard Hanstock has contributed to two notes for Practical Law on the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. The first note looks at civil injunctions introduced under Part 1 of....News: Public Law and Judicial Review, Housing
Cornerstone Barristers Housing Newsletter - July 2015
23rd July 2015
The latest Cornerstone Barristers Housing Newsletter includes...020 7242 4986 or 0333 240 0591
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