Alex Line

Call 2009
Email alex.line@3pb.co.uk
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Public Law & Regulatory

Alex has a particular interest in education law, and specifically the law relating to special educational needs (‘SEN’). This is principally concerned with the public law duties of Local Authorities in respect of making and maintaining Statements of SEN under the Education Act 1996 and related Statutory Instruments. Such cases are now heard before the First-Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) (‘SEND Tribunal’). However, issues can still arise which call for the intervention of the Administrative Court via judicial review procedure.

Education law has also has many other facets which affect, for example, local government; parents; schools; institutions of higher and further education. Please see Alex’s specialist profile for specific details of his education law experience.

Alex also has broader experience relating to judicial review.

Recent examples of judicial review work that Alex has been instructed in are:

• Drafting an urgent application and grounds for judicial review and interim relief for the failure of a local authority to implement a child’s Statement of SEN following a decision of the SEND tribunal, in breach of statutory duty.
• Providing advice and drafting grounds of judicial review in relation to the statutory duties of a local authority under section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 and other related provisions, as owed to a former relevant child.
• Drafting an application and grounds for judicial review in an age-assessment case, where a local authority had failed to provide adequate reasons for its decision as the Claimant’s age, which was in dispute and which affected his entitlement to age-appropriate services from the local authority under Part III of the Children Act 1989.

Prior to undertaking pupillage, Alex worked as a paralegal at London-based law firm which specialised in public law litigation. He gained experience in the areas of age disputes; community care; social housing and education. He also gained a strong practical understanding of judicial review litigation, and the needs of solicitors in this area of practice.