Meet The Team
The practice is currently staffed by Mr Renato Colonna, Principal Paralegal and Director of the practice.
Renato’s experience of Welfare Benefit appeals commenced in 2004 representing the local authorities with appeals for Housing and Council Tax Benefit at the forerunner of the Social Entitlement Chamber. Since then Renato has taken cases of increasing value and complexity, becoming a successful tribunal advocate in an extensive career representing local authorities across the South and South East. Renato became a specialist in Social Security Law, gaining working knowledge of the First Tier and Upper Tribunal procedure rules, presenting appeals of differing value, from Small Track to High Court (£0-10000 up to £50000+). From 2013 onwards Renato was able to take appeals to the Upper Tribunal on a point of law. Renato has also volunteered for the CAB assisting with PIP appeals to the Upper Tribunal.
In 2011 Renato began a formal legal education, completing the vocational stages in 2013. In 2013 Renato gained a PG Dip Legal Practice achieving commendation grade. In 2016 Renato completed the trainee solicitors’ Professional Skills Course, having self-funded the course taking the following PSC electives: Effective Negotiation Skills for Litigators; Civil Litigation Overview; Judicial Review for Litigators. In 2016 Renato attained the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Practice Skills Standards (Solicitors Training Regulations 2014) in the field of Social Security Law. However Renato did not pursue a solicitor’s career, choosing instead to practice as a paralegal in the jurisdiction he had already specialised in: Social Security Law.
Renato has practical experience of cross-over/multi-jurisdictional appeals involving other areas of English law including: Trusts law, EU law Directive 2004/38 (persons from abroad), ECHR law (European Social Charter, Articles of ECHR), Immigration Law, and elements of Housing, Tort, Contract and Land Law. Renato has gained knowledge of Tax law and Valuation Tribunal procedure, required Council Tax Reduction appeals, as well as Enforcement law under the Housing Act 2004 actions for Rent Repayment Orders.
Renato has experience of coordinating claims/appeals with parallel criminal fraud trials, providing expert witness statements and attending at Magistrates/Crown Court proceedings, as well as appeals that have ongoing housing law actions at the County Court.
At the Tribune Legal Practice Renato will bring his past working experience and legal training, together for the benefit of his clients.
Notable Upper Tribunal Cases:
- LB Southwark v Mrs Mansaray-Thullah [2015] UKUT (AAC) CH 3297/2015 – Noted for legal submissions on supremacy of EU law (Art 20 TFEU with reference to ECA 1972, ECJ caselaw and UK caselaw, Factortame) in social security adjudication for claimants seeking entitlement on Zambrano rights. Submission made on the duties of an adjudicator with reference to Foster vs Chief Adjudication Officer [1993] UKHL.
- LB Southwark v Mrs Marcisova [2016] UKUT (AAC) CH 1674/2016 – Noted for advocacy skills, legal issue decided no strict liability for claimants to read entitlement notification letters in overpayment recovery test. Operation of the precedent at the Social Entitlement Chamber with reference to case law R(I)12/75, and which cases should be followed.
- LB Southwark v Mr Mgbeh [2017] UKUT (AAC) CH 1575/2017 – Noted for legal submissions on judicial review principles in appeal procedure for advantageous decisions that lapse an appeal in overpayment scenarios. Social security regulations showing instances of irrationality, illegality or breach of natural justice in lapsing an appeal.
- MH v SSWP (PIP) [2022] UKUT 248 (AAC) UA-2021-000155-PIP – Issues included Tribunal procedure, and the evaluation of a witness’ credibilty. Test from criminal law jurisdiction on selective credibility R v Lucas 1981 QB 720 does not need codification in social security law jurisdction, as already contained in the authority SSWP v AM (IS) [2010] UKUT 428 (AAC).
