Housing Law

The Supreme Court has delivered its judgment in Bano v Waltham Forest [2026] UKSC 22, confirming how local authorities must lawfully bring the main housing duty owed to homeless applicants to an end. Edwards Duthie Shamash represented Ms Bano throughout the proceedings, with the judgment providing important clarification on applicants’ rights to be informed of decisions and to seek a statutory review under the Housing Act 1996.

James Harrison, Partner and Head of the Housing Team at Edwards Duthie Shamash, represents Ms Sabhya Bano in her UK Supreme Court appeal concerning homelessness and local authority housing duties. The case examines whether a council’s duty to accommodate a homeless applicant ends automatically when a Private Rented Sector Offer is not accepted, or if a formal discharge of duty decision is required under homelessness law.