Neumans LLP are pleased with the judgment of Mr Justice Beatson at the High Court in Cardiff on 27 November 2009 in which he quashed the decision of Newport City Council in relation to age limits on taxis, including hackney carriages (black cabs).
Neumans LLP represented Mr Lionel Morris who brought the Judicial Review on behalf of himself and all members of the Newport Hackney Drivers Association (NHDA). The NHDA is an association of around 80 hackney carriage drivers who are based in Newport, South Wales.
Mr Justice Beatson held that the decision was unlawful. Amongst the reasons given were the failure to take into account the six monthly plating test. He stated that this was not a case in which it would be appropriate to deny our clients a remedy in the exercise of discretion.
The decision, which was made on the 18th March 2009, meant that hackney carriages over 12 years old could not be licensed, and used as taxis. It also meant that at the first registration of a hackney carriage, it had to be under 3 years and 3 months old.
The practical effects of this decision would have meant that hackney carriage drivers who fell foul of the new age restrictions would have gone out of business if they could not afford new taxis.
A copy of the Judgment is contained here:
Morris, R (on the application of) v Newport City Council [2009] EWHC 3051 (Admin) (27 November 2009) (from the British and Irish Legal Information Institute)
A copy of the Times Law Report is contained here:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/reports/article6965512.ece
Please see the following links for press coverage:
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/4766413.Taxi_drivers_win_judicial_review/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8381201.stm
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