Wandsworth LBC v A [2000] 1 WLR 1246
The extent of a local authority’s ability to revoke a licence
Facts
A was the parent of a child who attended a school run by the local authority. The parent was accused of verbally abusing staff at the school and the headmaster sent her a letter telling her that she should not enter the school premises. When A continued to enter the school premises, the local authority applied to the county court for an injunction preventing A from entering the school. A appealed the grant of the injunction to the Court of Appeal.
Issues
The issue in this circumstance was whether the local authority’s position differed from that of a private individual in respect of revoking a licence held by a parent to enter the school.
Decision/Outcome
It was held that the local authority did not have unlimited power to revoke the parent’s licence to enter the school. Before withdrawing the licence, the headmaster should have given A the opportunity to make representations. This procedural failure on the part of the headmaster meant that the local authority’s injunction application was also necessarily flawed and A was able to raise a public law defence to the private law application. The appeal was allowed.
Updated 21 March 2026
This case summary accurately reflects the decision in Wandsworth LBC v A [2000] 1 WLR 1246. The Court of Appeal’s findings — that a local authority’s power to revoke a licence is not unlimited, that procedural fairness (including an opportunity to make representations) must be observed before revocation, and that a public law defence can be raised in response to a private law injunction application — remain good law. No subsequent legislation or appellate authority appears to have overruled or materially qualified these principles. The case continues to be cited in discussions of public law defences in private law proceedings and the obligations of public bodies exercising powers affecting individuals. The summary is broadly accurate and suitable for students studying land law, administrative law, or civil procedure.
