Legally speaking – A line in the sand or pushing against the tide?

Stephen Hocking, partner, and Ros Ashcroft, associate, of DAC Beachcroft LLP’s regulatory & public law team consider Devon county council’s attempt to draw a line in the sand’ on the requirements of equalities duties when setting fees for residential care. Devon county council has come out fighting in response to the recent High Court finding that it had failed to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (the due regard’ duty) when determining new fee levels for residential care provision. But is this fight likely to have any real effect on the way in which local authorities approach these decisions?