The High Court has handed down judgment in R (ST) v Carmarthenshire County Council [2026] EWHC 2038 (Admin), a judicial review claim challenging a decision to close a rural primary school, Ysgol Llansteffan. A link to the judgment can be found here.
The claim concerned the correct interpretation of the Welsh Government’s School Organisation Code as statutory guidance, the operation of the novel “socio-economic duty” under s.1 of the Equality Act 2010 which applies to Welsh public bodies (but not to English or UK-wide public bodies), and alleged errors in relation to the financial justification for the decision.
Following a rolled-up hearing, HHJ Keyser KC refused permission on all grounds. He would also have been persuaded to withhold relief in any event on grounds of delay and detriment to good administration.
Owen Prys Lewis appeared at the hearing before HHJ Keyser KC; Joseph Edwards settled the detailed grounds of defence and advised pre-hearing.
Chambers’ public law team acts for claimants and defendants in judicial review claims and in other public law contexts such as inquests, public inquiries and planning inquiries.