The claimant was a non-white head teacher, alleging that her school governors and local authority had undermined and had ‘deliberately endorsed a targeted campaign of discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation’ against her as an Asian head teacher; and that the Council, ‘deliberately and unlawfully endorsed a targeted campaign of discrimination, bullying and harassment and victimisation … Continue reading Singh v Moorlands Primary School and Another: CA 25 Jul 2013
LRA Adverse possession – locus standi of a person not having an interest in the land – adding new parties – holding a substantive hearing in absence of a party – Limitation Act 1980 Section 15; Schedule 1, paragraphs 1 and 8 – Land Registration Act 2002 Schedule 4; Adjudicator to Her Majesty’s Land Registry … Continue reading Arnold and Arnold v Roughton Land Trust Musker and Musker, (Practice and Procedure): LRA 5 Nov 2007
The defendant had been a dentist in the Netherlands. An action for damages was begun against him, but then stayed. Judgment was later entered in the Netherlands after he had moved to the UK, and of which he was ignorant. There was no subsisting right of appeal. The claimant sought to enforce the judgement here. … Continue reading Wim Harry Gerard Maronier v Bryan Larmer: CA 29 May 2002
(The Health Committee of the GMC) The GMC had decided that the registration of the appellant in the register of medical practitioners should remain suspended indefinitely as her fitness to practise had been found to be seriously impaired. She appealed. Held: The Act limited the jurisdiction of the Council under the Act to appeals on … Continue reading Dr Stefan v The General Medical Council (The Health Committee of the GMC) (No 2): PC 6 Mar 2002
Citations: [2002] EWCA Civ 1710 Links: Bailii Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: Appeal from – British Medical Association v Chaudhary EAT 30-Apr-2002 . . Cited by: See Also – British Medical Association v Chaudhary CA 15-May-2003 The claimant had sought registration as a specialist medical practitioner by the respondent. His complaint that the crtiria used … Continue reading British Medical Association v Chaudhary: CA 1 Nov 2002
(New Zealand) The appeal concerned the rating of properties. Where two properties were held under the same land certificates, was this enough to have require only one listing on the valuation roll. New Zealand uses the Torrens style of Land Registration, under which, it was argued, the unit of registration determined also entries for ‘separate … Continue reading Rodney District Council and others v Attorney General: PC 7 Oct 2002
The standard building contract allowed a contractor to take plant and equipment from a site and sell it in payment of sums due under the contract, upon the other contractor becoming insolvent. It was said that this power amounted to a charge over the company’s assets, and should have registered at Companies House. Upon entering … Continue reading Smith (Administrator of Cosslett (Contractors) Limited) v Bridgend County Borough Council; In re Cosslett (Contractors) Ltd: HL 8 Nov 2001
Land had been used as a park for many years. The council land owner refused to register it as a common, saying that by maintaining the park it had indicated that the use was by consent and licence, and that prescription did not apply. Held: Qualifying user having been found, there was nothing in the … Continue reading Regina v City of Sunderland ex parte Beresford: HL 13 Nov 2003
The Reef pop group applied to register ‘REEF’ for Classes 25 and 26 – e.g. T-shirts, badges, etc. South Cone opposed them as registered proprietors of ‘Reef Brazil’ for the footwear which also was included in Class 25. South’s reputation was primarily amongst surfers. The Hearing Officer conducted a ‘multi-factorial’ comparison, and rejected the opposition … Continue reading Bessant and others v South Cone Incorporated; in re REEF Trade Mark: CA 28 May 2002
Intention to Establish Adverse Possession of Land A squatter had occupied the land and defended a claim for possession. The court discussed the conditions necessary to establish an intention to possess land adversely to the paper owner. Held: Slade J said: ‘It will be convenient to begin by restating a few basic principles relating to … Continue reading Powell v McFarlane: ChD 1977
The appellant had lived in a caravan on the verge of a byway and had been here for more than twelve years. He appealed against rejection of his request for possessory title. He said that there was no support in law for the maxim that adverse possession was not available against land forming part of … Continue reading Smith, Regina (on The Application of) v Land Registry (Peterborough Office) and Another: CA 10 Mar 2010
The claimants sought ownership by adverse possession of land. Once the paper owner had been found, they indicated a readiness to purchase their interest. The court had found that this letter contradicted an animus possidendi. The claimant had overstayed the expiration of a grazing tenancy, and been asked to leave but had not been dispossessed. … Continue reading J A Pye (Oxford) Ltd and Others v Graham and Another: HL 4 Jul 2002
Solicitors acted in a loan, giving an undertaking as to its application. In breach of that undertaking they released it to the borrower. The appellants appealed a finding of liability as contributors to the breach. Held: ‘Money in a solicitor’s client account is held on trust. The only question is the terms of that trust.’ … Continue reading Twinsectra Ltd v Yardley and Others: HL 21 Mar 2002
The applicant sought judicial review of the cancellation of his application for first registration of land by adverse possession. The application had been rejected because a public right of way existed through it, and the claimant had not shown the necessary intention to possess exclusively of others. Held: The claim failed. A public right of … Continue reading Smith, Regina (on the Application of) v The Land Registry (Peterborough Office): Admn 13 Feb 2009
The Chief Land Registrar appealed against the dismissal of his appeal against the adjudicator’s decision on the cancellation of a unilateral notice. On the day of the adjudication, the Silkstones had purported to withdraw their case, wanting to take it forward instead in the High Court. The adjudicator had proceeded in any event, ordering the … Continue reading The Chief Land Registrar v Silkstone and Others: CA 14 Jul 2011
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The claimants owned land against which they said, the defendant had wrongfully registered notices. They sought removal of the notices, damages, and an injunction to prevent further notices being registered. The first defendant asserted an oral agreement for the purchase of the site. The claimant sought a strike out of the defence. Held: The balance … Continue reading Anderson Antiques (UK) Ltd v Anderson Wharf (Hull) Ltd and Another: ChD 23 May 2007
Fair Coment on Political Activities The defendant newspaper had published articles wrongly accusing the claimant, the former Prime Minister of Ireland of duplicity. The paper now appealed, saying that it should have had available to it a defence of qualified privilege because of the claimant’s status as a politician. Held: The appeal failed (Lords Hope … Continue reading Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd and others: HL 28 Oct 1999
The claimants sought to amend their claim which had previously been on the basis of a joint ownership, to one of sole ownership. Held: The application for the amendment being made more han two years after the grant, the amendment could not be allowed. s.37(5) bars the making of a new claim out of time. … Continue reading Yeda Research and Development Co Ltd v Rhone-Poulenc Rorer International Holdings Inc and others: CA 31 Jul 2006
The claimant sought damages. The respondent had acted as an adoption agency but had failed to disclose all relevant information about the child. Held: Any such duty extended only during the period where the child was with the prospective adopters pending their decision on adoption. Hale LJ: ‘Whenever the question of a common law duty … Continue reading A and Another v Essex County Council: CA 17 Dec 2003
LRA Profit a prendre; right to exercise common of pasture; doctrine of Lost Modern Grant; Prescription Act 1832; Land Registration Act 2002, ss. 33, 34, 40, 65, sch 4, para. 5(b) or (c); Commons Registration Act 1965, ss 1, 13(b); Commons Act 2006; New Forest Claims Act 1854; New Forest Act 1877; Commons Registration (New … Continue reading Anthony Robert Cooper v Alan Charles Prince, Terence John Madden, Paul Nicholas Bakewell (Easements and Profits A Prendre): LRA 31 Aug 2011
LRA Adverse possession – whether title extinguished by 1984 – application to rectify or alternatively under Schedule 6 to the Land Registration Act 2002 – whether conditions in paragraph 5 met Citations: [2011] EWLandRA 2009 – 1177 Links: Bailii Jurisdiction: England and Wales Registered Land Updated: 06 November 2022; Ref: scu.465857
The claimants sought leave to appeal against rejection of their request made to the Deputy Adjudicator for the rectification of the title to land they claimed title to land which was registered to the respondent neighbour. Held: The claimant’s appeal succeeded, but the matter remitted to the adjudicator. Judges: Morgan J Citations: [2012] EWHC 1248 … Continue reading Paton and Another v Todd: ChD 11 May 2012
The taxpayer company entered into an arrangement in which shares were purchased by a company based in Ireland and resold. A claim was made for holdover relief. Held: The scheme failed. The restriction imposed did not infringe the right of establishment under European law since the company was not restricted from setting up business. It … Continue reading Foulser and Another v HM Inspector of Taxes: ChD 20 Dec 2005
The claimant alleged trade mark infringement by the respondents by the use of a mark in a pop-up advert. Held: The own-name defence to trade mark infringement is limited. Some confusion may be allowed if overall the competition was not unfair in all the circumstances. No confusion was intended; they wanted only to associate their … Continue reading Reed Executive Plc, Reed Solutions Plc v Reed Business Information Ltd, Reed Elsevier (Uk) Ltd, Totaljobs Com Ltd: CA 3 Mar 2004
The claimants appealed against a decision of the Adjudicator that they had not acquired a piece of their neighbour’s land by adverse possession, on the basis that their use had been by virtue of an oral licence. The judge had found the occupation to be insufficient to demnstrate exclusion of others from the land. Held: … Continue reading Wilson and Another v Grainger: ChD 4 Dec 2009
Representative claims were made against the respondents, hospitals, pathologists etc with regard to the removal of organs from deceased children without the informed consent of the parents. They claimed under the tort of wrongful interference. Held: Organ removal when a post mortem had been ordered by the coroner was not tortious. In English law there … Continue reading AB and others v Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust: QBD 26 Mar 2004
The claimants appealed an order finding that the defendant had acquired their land by adverse possession. They said that the defendant had asserted in defence to possession proceedings that they were tenants, and that this contradicted an intent to deny the claimants’ title. Held: The appeal failed. A finding by the ECHR that a particular … Continue reading Ofulue and Another v Bossert: CA 29 Jan 2008
Both companies sold motor insurance products at a distance and used as logos and symbols either a telephone or a computer mouse, in each case on wheels. Direct line claimed the use of the mouse by esure infringed its own trademarks, and resisted registration of esure’s trade mark. Esure now appealed a ruling against it’s … Continue reading Esure Insurance Ltd v Direct Line Insurance Plc: ChD 29 Jun 2007
An order had been made restraining the defendant trades unions from taking industrial action. The unions said the UK court had no jurisdiction. Held: ‘It is at first sight surprising that the English Commercial Court should be the forum in which a dispute between a Finnish company and a Finnish Trade Union and an international … Continue reading International Transport Workers’ Federation and Another v Viking Line Abp and Another: CA 3 Nov 2005
The claimant alleged that the defendants had been importing copies of their perfumes. The products were not counterfeits, but ‘smell-alikes’. The defendants’ packaging and naming was used to suggest which perfume it resembled. Held: The claimant’s expert survey evidence was defective in several ways, but even so there was no evidence of confusion under the … Continue reading L’Oreal Sa and others v Bellure NV and others: ChD 4 Oct 2006
In a boundary dispute, the judge had found a boundary, locating it by reference to physical features not mentioned in the unambigous conveyance. Held: The judge had reiterated but not relied upon the statement as to the subjective views of the parties as to the position of the boundary. The plans did not show the … Continue reading Pennock and Another v Hodgson: CA 27 Jul 2010
The fact of possession of land by the registered proprietor was a factor to be given special effect when a court considered an application to rectify the register. The presumptions following from the registration of the land with title absolute, meant that possession of the land gave the proprietors ownership unless, and until, that presumption … Continue reading Kingsalton Ltd and Another v Thames Water Developments Ltd and Others: ChD 19 Jan 2001
The appellant had broken into an empty council owned flat, and subsequently occupied it. After twelve years the authority obtained a court order for possession. The court had held that the appellant had not had a sufficient animus possidendi since he had not at any time expected to live there for as more than a … Continue reading London Borough of Lambeth v Blackburn: CA 14 Jun 2001
The name ‘Parma Ham’ was controlled as to its use under Italian law, and the associated mark, the ‘corona ducale’, was to be applied to a sale of Parma Ham, including any packaging. Proper Parma Ham was imported and resold through the defendant’s stores, under the name Parma Ham, but without the mark being shown. … Continue reading Consorzio Del Prosciutto Di Parma v Asda Stores Limited and others: HL 8 Feb 2001
The appellants sold a system protecting credit card holders against the consequences of loss or theft. They claimed that it was insurance and exempt from VAT. The commissioners said it was a service and vatable. The card provided a range of services for those who had lost a card, and laid off the costs against … Continue reading Card Protection Plan Ltd v Commissioners of Customs and Excise: HL 6 Feb 2001
Two women parties used funds generated by a joint business venture to buy a house in which they lived together. It was vested in the sole name of the plaintiff but on the understanding that they were joint beneficial owners. The purpose of the arrangement was so that false benefit claims could be made to … Continue reading Tinsley v Milligan: HL 28 Jun 1993
The applicant sought a declaration that the defendant had acted in breach of the Act, in accepting sums by way of deposit, without being authorised, and had made prohibited statements to attract such deposits. Could a civil court make such a finding which would be equivalent to a finding of guilt of a criminal offence? … Continue reading Financial Services Authority v Rourke: ChD 19 Oct 2001
(Northern Ireland) The claimant challenged the rules restricting payment of benefits to nationals from the 8 latest European Accession states to those with an unbroken 12 month working record. The applicant came from Poland and worked at two authorised employments but failed to find a third. She had left her partner because of his violence. … Continue reading Zalewska v Department for Social Development: HL 12 Nov 2008
Appeal by the Secretary of State for Work against a decision that the respondent is entitled to state pension credit. The issues in this appeal concern the construction of the Directive governing the rights of Union citizens and the validity of certain domestic regulations applying to Latvian nationals working in the UK. Held: The appeal … Continue reading The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v Gubeladze: CA 7 Nov 2017
The claimant appellant alleged that properties she owned were transferred to the first defendant under undue influence or other unconscionable conduct by the second and third defendants. The claim was dismissed. Three years later she claimed to set that judgment aside having been obtained by fraud. To support the allegation she brought evidence not available … Continue reading Takhar v Gracefield Developments Ltd and Others: SC 20 Mar 2019
The plaintiffs each complained of negligent decisions in his or her education made by the defendant local authorities. In three of them the Court of Appeal had struck out the plaintiff’s claim and in only one had it been allowed to proceed. Held: The House unanimously dismissed the local authority’s appeal in that last case … Continue reading Phelps v Hillingdon London Borough Council; Anderton v Clwyd County Council; Gower v Bromley London Borough Council; Jarvis v Hampshire County Council: HL 28 Jul 2000
(Hong Kong) The claimant deposited money with a licensed deposit taker, regulated by the Commissioner. He lost his money when the deposit taker went into insolvent liquidation. He said the regulator was responsible when it should have known of the difficulties. Held: The requirements for a duty of care were a foreseeability of harm, and … Continue reading Yuen Kun-Yeu v Attorney-General of Hong Kong: PC 1987
Liability in Damages on Statute Breach to be Clear Damages were to be awarded against a Local Authority for breach of statutory duty in a care case only if the statute was clear that damages were capable of being awarded. in the ordinary case a breach of statutory duty does not, by itself, give rise … Continue reading X (Minors) v Bedfordshire County Council; M (A Minor) and Another v Newham London Borough Council; Etc: HL 29 Jun 1995
Shareholder May Sue for Additional Personal Losses A company brought a claim of negligence against its solicitors, and, after that claim was settled, the company’s owner brought a separate claim in respect of the same subject-matter. Held: It need not be an abuse of the court for a shareholder to seek damages against advisers to … Continue reading Johnson v Gore Wood and Co: HL 14 Dec 2000
Transgender Male to Female not to marry as Female The parties had gone through a form of marriage, but Mrs B had previously undergone gender re-assignment surgery. Section 11(c) of the 1973 Act required a marriage to be between a male and a female. It was argued that the section was incompatible with the claimant’s … Continue reading Bellinger v Bellinger: HL 10 Apr 2003
The defendants had been convicted and sentenced for offences which under the 2003 Act would mean that they stayed permanently on the Sex Offenders’ register without possibility of a review. The Secretary of State appealed aganst a finding that the absence of a review was incompatible with their article 8 rights. Held: The appeal failed. … Continue reading F and Another, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for The Home Department: SC 21 Apr 2010
Appeals were made against pronouncements for the validity of a will and against the validity of an earlier will. The solicitor drawing the will was to receive a benefit, and had requested an independent solicitor to see the testatrix and ensure that she understood it, and that it represented her wishes. He then witnessed the … Continue reading Hoff and others v Atherton: CA 19 Nov 2004
LRA Rentcharges : Nature and Extent : Rectification or Setting Aside of Documents : Scope of Jurisdiction – Rentcharges – grant of lease over rentcharge to trustees to enforce payments due under a rentcharge – equitable status of lease pending registration – proof of title to rentcharge – proof of sums due and owing – … Continue reading Roberts and Others v Keegan: LRA 3 Mar 2014
The parties disputed the position of the boundary between their neighbouring properties. The appellant Z had succeeded in establishing that the the boundary was as they decribed on paper, but the respondents had succeeded in their claim for adverse posession. The appellants said that the occupation having been by consent, it could not be counted … Continue reading Zarb and Another v Parry and Another: CA 15 Nov 2011
The applicant, then Astrid Proll, fled bail in Germany when awaiting trial on terrorist charges, entered England and under a false name, and married Mr Puttick. She resisted extradition saying that under the 1948 Act she was now a British National. She appealed against a decision that she could not rely upon her fraudulent behaviour. … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for the Home Department Ex Parte Puttick: CA 1981
The court was asked whether the rule against forfeiture applied so as to disentitle an applicant from receiving a widow’s allowance when she had killed her husband with a knife. She had been held guilty of manslaughter but simply placed on probation. Held: The forfeiture rule does not apply universally to all cases involving a … Continue reading Regina v Chief National Insurance Commissioner Ex Parte Connor: QBD 1981
LRA Beneficial Interests, Trusts and Restrictions : Restrictions Where No Beneficial Interest Dismemberment of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; entry of restrictions; lex situs; private domestic law of England and Wales; occupation of property by a member of the Serbian diplomatic mission; principle of justiciability; ‘sufficient interest’; ‘right or claim’; Agreement on Succession Issues … Continue reading The Republic of Croatia v The Republic of Serbia: LRA 2 Jul 2009
Same Sex Paartner to Inherit as Family Member The claimant had lived with the original tenant in a stable and long standing homosexual relationship at the deceased’s flat. After the tenant’s death he sought a statutory tenancy as a spouse of the deceased. The Act had been extended to include as a spouse someone living … Continue reading Fitzpatrick v Sterling Housing Association Ltd: HL 28 Oct 1999
Same Sex Partner Entitled to tenancy Succession The protected tenant had died. His same-sex partner sought a statutory inheritance of the tenancy. Held: His appeal succeeded. The Fitzpatrick case referred to the position before the 1998 Act: ‘Discriminatory law undermines the rule of law because it is the antithesis of fairness. It brings the law … Continue reading Ghaidan v Godin-Mendoza: HL 21 Jun 2004
The appellant complained that the respondent had imported into the European Economic Area disk drives bearing its trade marks in breach of the appellant’s rights. The respondent had argued that the appellant had abused its position by withholding information which would allow it to trade lawfully. The Court was now asked: ‘whether a person who … Continue reading Oracle America Inc v M-Tech Data Ltd: SC 27 Jun 2012
The land owners sought relief from possession orders made under mortgages given in equity release schemes: ‘If the purchaser raises all or part of the purchase price on mortgage, and then defaults, the issue arises whether the mortgagee’s right to possession has priority over, or is subject to, any entitlement of the vendor to continue … Continue reading Cook v The Mortgage Business Plc: CA 24 Jan 2012
Account taken of circumstances wihout ambiguity The respondent gave advice on home income plans. The individual claimants had assigned their initial claims to the scheme, but later sought also to have their mortgages in favour of the respondent set aside. Held: Investors having once assigned their causes of action to the ICS, could not later … Continue reading Investors Compensation Scheme Ltd v West Bromwich Building Society: HL 19 Jun 1997
UK Advers Possession Law – Not Compliant The claimant had said that the UK law which allowed it to lose land by virtue of twelve year’s occupation by a squatter, interfered with its right to ownership of property. Held: The UK law on adverse possession did comply with the Convention. The limitation period of twelve … Continue reading J A Pye (Oxford) Ltd v The United Kingdom: ECHR 30 Aug 2007
The defendants appealed against their convictions which had been based upon evidence of visual identification. Held: Identification evidence can be unreliable, and courts must take steps to reduce injustice. The judge should warn the jury of the special need for caution before convicting the accused in reliance upon the correctness of identification. No special form … Continue reading Regina v Turnbull and Another etc: CCA 9 Jun 1976
The claimant was trustee in bankruptcy but the court failed to register the bankruptcy petition at the Land Registry as a pending action. The bankrupt was therefore able to sell her land, and the trustee did not recover the proceeds. The trustee sought to recover from the defendant who was responsible for the court service. … Continue reading Poulton v Ministry of Justice: CA 22 Apr 2010
The respondent had issued bonds but in 2001 had declared a moratorium on paying them. The appellant hedge fund later bought the bonds, heavily discounted. Judgment was obtained in New York, which the appellants now sought to enforce against assets in the UK. They argued that the terms of issue waived state immunity. Held: The … Continue reading NML Capital Ltd v Argentina: SC 6 Jul 2011
Protesters objected that byelaws which had been made to prevent access to common land, namely Greenham Common were invalid. Held: The byelaws did prejudice the rights of common. The House was concerned to clarify the test applicable when seeking to sever the valid from the invalid where part of subordinate legislation, the RAF Greenham Common … Continue reading Director of Public Prosecutions v Hutchinson; Director of Public Prosecutions v Smith: HL 12 Jul 1990
The appellant challenged a sale and rent back transaction. He said that the proposed purchaser had misrepresented the transaction to them. The Court was asked s whether the home owners had interests whose priority was protected by virtue of section 29(2)(a)(ii) of, and Schedule 3, paragraph 2, to the Land Registration Act 2002. Held: The … Continue reading Scott v Southern Pacific Mortgages Ltd and Others: SC 22 Oct 2014
The court heard preliminary applications in a case asserting acquisition of land by adverse possession, the land being parts of the foreshore of the Severn Estuary.
Held: A person may acquire title to part of the bed of a tidal river by . .
Rectification or Setting Aside of Documents – Rentcharges – grant of lease over rentcharge to trustees to enforce payments due under a rentcharge – equitable status of lease pending registration – proof of title to rentcharge – proof of sums due and . .
An English court had power to make a restraining order against the disposal of assets pending an application for confiscation pursuant to a US order. This applied even if the US original judgment predated the date on which the US was added to the . .
The appellants had overpaid under a mistake of law very substantial sums in VAT over several years. The excess had been repaid, but with simple interest and not compound interest, which the now claimed (together with other taxpayers amounting to 17 . .
Although the plain words of the Act would not allow an appeal to the Court of Appeal under the circumstances presently applying, it was clear that the parliamentary draftsman had failed to achieve what he had wanted to, that the omission was in . .
A flat was sold, but before the purchasers registered the transfer, the seller was sequestrated, and his trustee registered his own interest as trustee. The buyer complained that the trustee was unjustly enriched.
Held: The Act defined the . .
References: (1841) 4 Beav 115 affd Cr & Ph 240, [1841] EWHC Ch J27, [1841] EWHC Ch J82, (1841) Cr & Ph 240, [1841] EngR 629, (1841) 4 Beav 115, (1841) 49 ER 282 Links: Bailii, Bailii, Commonlii Coram: Lord Cottenham Ratio:A direction in a will stated that the income from certain shares was to … Continue reading Saunders v Vautier; 7 May 1841
