Detailed guidance was given on the quality of independent legal advice, which would be required to be given to wives signing charges to secure their husbands’ business etc accounts on the matrimonial home. The interaction of legal advice and allegations of undue influence is a question of notice. Citations: Times 17-Aug-1998, Gazette 26-Aug-1998, [1998] EWCA … Continue reading Royal Bank of Scotland v Etridge, Loftus and Another v Etridge and Another, Etridge v Pritchard Englefield (Merged With Robert Gore and Co ) Midland Bank Plc v Wallace and Another (No 2): CA 31 Jul 1998
The Court considered whether, on exercising a break clause in a lease, the tenant was entitled to recover rent paid in advance. Held: The appeal failed. The Court of Appeal had imposed what was established law. The test for whether a clause might be implied in a contract is: ‘that it is necessary for business … Continue reading Marks and Spencer Plc v BNP Paribas Securities Services Trust Company (Jersey) Ltd and Another: SC 2 Dec 2015
The applicants, owners of a solvent family business, sought to register a charge over the company’s assets out of time. Held: Buckley J saw the application under s 15 of the 1900 Act as a similar application to the application to register out of time under s 14 of the 1878 Act. Buckley J referred … Continue reading Re Joplin Brewery Co Ltd: ChD 1902
The court was asked: ‘A spends money seeking a judgment for the recovery of a debt from B. A fails to recover the debt because, so the court holds, the debt is not in fact owed by B to A (as A mistakenly thought), but owed by B to C. C then recovers the debt, … Continue reading TFL Management Services Ltd v Lloyds Bank Plc: CA 14 Nov 2013
Lord Halisbury said: ‘I cannot understand how it can be asserted that it is part of the common law that where one person gets some advantage from the act of another, a right of contribution towards the expense from that act arises.’ Rejecting the argument, he continued: ‘But this is the first time in which … Continue reading Ruabon Steamship Co v The London Assurance Co: HL 1900
Mr Sharp was the local land registrar with statutory duty to maintain the local registry, issuing certificates in response to search requests. A clerk who had been seconded by another Council to assist him negligently issued an inaccurate certificate to a prospective purchaser of land, omitting any reference to a claim to reimbursement of compensation … Continue reading Ministry of Housing and Local Government v Sharp: CA 1970
The court considered its power to order transfer of assets from one jurisdiction (in this case Switzerland) to another in aid of a Mareva injunction. Held: An order that assets be delivered or transferred to a receiver was a usual one.The appointment of a receiver over foreign assets is an in personam remedy. Dillon LJ … Continue reading Derby and Co v Weldon (No 6): CA 3 Jan 1990
In 1901 Richard Melton and another guaranteed to a Bank his son Arthur’s debts up to andpound;500. Richard died survived by his widow, Arthur and three daughters, giving his real estate to his widow for her life, with remainder to his four children in equal shares. Arthur mortgaged his share of the estate to the … Continue reading In re Melton, Milk v Towers: CA 1918
The liquidator when appointed closed down the business which had been conducted on the premises, had the company’s plant and machinery valued and thought about what he should do. Held: The rent did not become a liquidation expense until some time after the winding up order, notwithstanding that the company remained in occupation. He was … Continue reading In re ABC Coupler and Engineering Co Ltd (No 3): ChD 1970
Both the driver and his passenger had drunk about eight to nine pints of beer, and on their way home the driver lost control of his car so that it collided with a lamppost. The passenger sued in negligence. The driver said the passenger was contributorily negligent. Held: The court cited Canadian and Australian authorities … Continue reading Owens v Brimmell: 1977
Section 163 provided ‘any . . distress or execution put in force against the estate or effects of the company after the commencement of the winding up shall be void to all intents.’ After the presentation of a petition, the commencement of a compulsory winding up, but before the winding up order, the lessor of … Continue reading In re Exhall Coal Mining Co Ltd: CA 1864
A scheme was proposed in a liquidation and a meeting of, inter alia, ordinary shareholders was proposed, who were to be given shares in the new company in place of their shares in the old, so to that extent they were affected by the scheme. The shareholders voted against the scheme; the other relevant participants … Continue reading Re Tea Corporation: CA 1904
The plaintiff argued that the objects of the Secular Society Ltd, which had been registered under the Companies Acts, were unlawful. Held: The House referred to ‘the last persons to go to the stake in this country pro salute animae’ in 1612 or thereabouts. A certificate of incorporation given by the Registrar in respect of … Continue reading Bowman v Secular Society Limited: HL 1917
The claimant sought damages for the losses it had suffered as a result of price fixing by the defendant companies in the vitamin market. The European Commission had already fined the defendant for its involvement. Held: In an action for breach of statutory duty the court can in appropriate circumstances make a restitutionary award, that … Continue reading Devenish Nutrition Ltd and others v Sanofi-Aventis SA (France) and others: ChD 19 Oct 2007
The defendant companies provided media monitoring services, automatically searching web-sites for terms of interest. The claimant newspapers operated a licensing system through the first claimant permitting the re-use of the content on its members web-sites. The defendant denied that it required such a licence, saying that the arrangement required, in effect, double licensing. Judges: Sir … Continue reading The Newspaper Licensing Agency Ltd and Others v Meltwater Holding Bv and Others: CA 27 Jul 2011
Where offices had been let to a company which was ordered to be wound up by the Court, a distress was subsequently put in for rent by the lessors, under which the office furniture was seized. Held: as possession of the offices had not, in the opinion of the Court, been retained for the purpose … Continue reading In re Progress Assurance Co Ex parte Liverpool Exchange Co: CA 1870
The claimant newspapers complained of the spidering of the web-sites and redistribution of the materials collected by the defendants to its subscribers. The defendants including the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA) denied that they needed a licence for the purpose. Held: The members of PRCA required licences from the claimants in order lawfully to receive … Continue reading The Newspaper Licensing Agency Ltd and Others v Meltwater Holding Bv and Others: ChD 26 Nov 2010
The company had altered its articles so as to give itself a lien on paid up shares in respect of the failure of the shareholder to pay calls on other shares which had not been fully paid up. The effect of the amendment was to alter the contractual rights of the shareholder. Held: The amendment … Continue reading Allan v Gold Reefs of West Africa Ltd: CA 19 Feb 1900
The claimant alleged infringement by the defendant of assorted intellectual property rights in its database. It provided systems for recovering materials deleted from Nokia mobile phones. Held: ‘the present case is concerned with a collection of numerical data . . the individual items of data are not protected by copyright. It follows that the collection … Continue reading Forensic Telecommunications Services Ltd v West Yorkshire Police and Another: ChD 9 Nov 2011
The rules of an association, called the Tea Clearing House, the members of which were dock companies and tea warehouse keepers carrying on the business of warehousing tea in bond, provided (rule 11) that every member should charge on teas the respective rates and adhere to the terms and conditions specified in a schedule to … Continue reading Chamberlains Wharf Limited v Smith: CA 18 Jul 1900
Reporter of Public Speech Owns Copyright I A reporter attended a speech by Lord Rosebery. His report of the speech was republished in the Times after another journalist who had not been present published a verbatim copy. He claimed a copyright in the work he produced. Held: The first journalist had copyright and was entitled … Continue reading Walter v Lane: HL 6 Aug 1900
The Bank anticipated criticism in an ad hoc enquiry which was called to investigate its handling of a matter involving the claimant. The claimant sought disclosure of the documents created when the solicitors advised employees of the Bank in preparing to present the Bank’s case, and the Bank now appealed an order granting such access, … Continue reading Three Rivers District Council and others v Governor and Company of the Bank of England (No 6): HL 11 Nov 2004
Registration of a distinctive Internet domain name using registered trade marks and company names could be an infringement of a registered Trade Mark, and also passing off. It was proper to grant quia timet injunctions where necessary to stop registration: ‘a jurisdiction to grant injunctive relief where a defendant is equipped with or is intending … Continue reading British Telecommunications Plc; Virgin Enterprises Ltd; J Sainsbury Plc; Marks and Spencer Plc and Ladbroke Group Plc v One In a Million Ltd and others: CA 23 Jul 1998
The claimant asserted as against the liquidator, a floating and registered charge over the company’s assets. The liquidator said that it had been granted within the twelve months prior to the onset of the insolvency, was caught by section 245(3)(b), and requested rectification of the register. The claimants relied on an opinion from senior counsel. … Continue reading Rehman v Chamberlain and Another: ChD 6 Sep 2011
Chose in Action defined The effect of the 1873 Act was essentially procedural and it did not render choses in action that had not previously been assignable in equity capable of assignment. Channell J defined a debt or other legal chose in action: ”Chose in Action’ is a known legal expression used to describe all … Continue reading Torkington v Magee: 11 Jul 1902
A miners’ association, registered under the Trade Union Act 1871, made certain payments from its funds to its members, who were out of employment, in circumstances which involved a direct contravention of the rules of the association. Held (Lords . .
The bank had entered into a master trading agreement with a trader under which the trader bought motor vehicles as agent for the bank for resale. The vehicles belonged to the bank. The defendant bought all the trader’s vehicles. The defendant now . .
The court considered the propriety of a payment made by a charitable company to a director for her loss of office. The charity was to transfer a substantial sum to a new charity headed by the departing director.
Held: The court approved the . .
Certain investment trust companies (ITCs) sought refunds of VAT paid on the supply of investment management services. EU law however clarified that they were not due. Refunds were restricted by the Commissioners both as to the amounts and limitation . .
A lightship was damaged by negligence. The plaintiff harbour board kept a ship ready for emergencies, and consequently the damaged ship was replaced with the spare while she was being repaired. The question was whether the claimant could recover . .
The council had operated open markets on its land under statutory authority. In breach of the statute, the defendant operated a market on a different day, but within the excluded area. This was a nuisance actionable on proof of damage. The council . .
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The University wanted to sell land for development free of restrictive covenants. It had previously been in the ownership of both the servient and dominant land in respect of a restrictive covenant. The Borough contended that the restrictive covenants remained in effect. The University sought their discharge. Held: The Borough had owned the dominant and … Continue reading University of East London Higher Education Corporation v London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and others: ChD 9 Dec 2004
The claimant alleged that the defendants had funded the purchase of various properties by secret and unlawful commissions taken by them whilst in power in Pakistan. They sought to recover the proceeds. They now sought permission to serve proceedings on the defendant companies abroad, outside a Lugano Convention country. Held: The claim should proced. ‘There … Continue reading Islamic Republic of Pakistan v Zardari and others: ComC 6 Oct 2006
The claimant challenged the forfeiture of its lease by a freeholder which had acquired the registered freehold title but had not yet registered its ownership. The second defendant had forfeited the lease by peacable re-entry for arrears of rent, and created a further lease. Held: The judge was right to hold that, following the transfer, … Continue reading Scribes West Ltd v Relsa Anstalt and others: CA 20 Dec 2004
Charitable Company- Directors’ Status and Duties A married couple set up a charitable foundation to assist children in developing countries. When the marriage failed an attempt was made to establish a second foundation with funds from the first, as part of W leaving the Trust. Court approval was obtained, but the court ordered the remaining … Continue reading Lehtimaki and Others v Cooper: SC 29 Jul 2020
The parties had been involved in a road traffic accident. The defendant drove into the claimant’s parked car. The claimant was unable to afford to hire a car pending repairs being completed, and arranged to hire a car on credit. He now sought payment of the cost of the credit agreement. Held: A negligent driver … Continue reading Lagden v O’Connor: HL 4 Dec 2003
Fraudsters had successfully contrived to sell shares of others, by re-registering the shares to new addresses and requesting new certificates. The question was which of the company, the company registrars and the stockbrokers should bear the loss. . .
