The House explained the doctrine of repudiation of a contract: ‘where there is a contract which is to be performed in future, if one of the parties has said to the other in effect, ‘If you go on and perform your side of the contract I will not perform mine’ . . that in effect … Continue reading Mersey Steel and Iron Co v Naylor, Benzon and Co: HL 1884
PC (New Zealand) The claimants asserted that the respondents had wrongly terminated their franchise licence. The agreement was subject to the New South Wales law requiring good faith, but the court had not had expert assistance for interpretation. Held: Whatever the underlying law, the agreement depended upon the parties acting in good faith and working … Continue reading Dymocks Franchise Systems (NSW) Pty Limited v Todd and Todd, Bilgola Enterprises Ltd and Lambton Quay Books Ltd: PC 7 Oct 2002
A company went into liquidation, being owed substantial sums by another company in the same group, but itself insolvent. A settlement did not include accrued interest, but was claimed to be taxed as if it had, and on an accruals basis. If so, was this an expense properly arising in the insolvency, and payable as … Continue reading Kahn and Another v Commissioners of Inland Revenue; In re Toshoku Finance plc: HL 20 Feb 2002
Unless restricted by something else, an employer ought to find work to enable a workman to perform his part of the bargain, namely, to do his work. A term will be implied into a contract only to the extent required to give the contract efficacy: ‘if it is necessary, in the business sense, to give … Continue reading The Moorcock: CA 1889
An Act of Parliament authorised a company to construct a railway. Two other companies combined and contracted with the first to supply rolling stock. An injunction was brought to try to restrain this, saying that such a contract was not explicitly . .
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Interlocutory appeal raising a jurisdictional issue connected with the relatively new ‘cartel’ offence created by section 188 Enterprise Act 2002. Judges: Hughes LJ, David Clarke J, Morris QC J Citations: [2009] EWCA Crim 2575, [2010] Lloyd’s Rep FC 206, [2010] UKCLR 1, [2010] 1 Cr App R 16, [2010] Bus LR 748, [2010] 2 All … Continue reading IB v Regina: CACD 9 Dec 2009
The defendants were senior executives of BA. They made interlocutory appeals while undergoing trials for alleged price fixing under section 188 of the 2002 Act. The judge had ruled that the prosecutor need prove dishonesty only as against the defendants, and need not do so as against other parties to the transactions (similar officers of … Continue reading Regina v George and Others: CACD 28 May 2010
The defendants appealed against sentences imposed for operating a criminal cartel. They said that the Court had used as a guideline minimum sentences which had been agreed in a plea bargain for a similar offence in the USA. Held: The non-exhaustive list of relevant factors was ‘The gravity and nature of the offence, the duration … Continue reading Whittle and Others, Regina v: CACD 14 Nov 2008
The builders had obtained a charging order for the costs awarded to them in extensive litigation, and a third party costs order but without the third party having opportunity to test the bill delivered. They had agreed to sell land to the defendant, but he had required the transfer to be in a different form … Continue reading Nelson v Greening and Sykes (Builders) Ltd: CA 18 Dec 2007
The court was asked as to the interrelationship of the statutory schemes relating to the protection of employees’ pensions and to corporate insolvency. Held: Liabilities which arose from financial support directions or contribution notices issued by the Pensions Regulator under the 2004 Act after the company had gone into administration, which required the company to … Continue reading In re Nortel Companies and Others: SC 24 Jul 2013
The occupier had been granted a temporary licence by the authority under the homelessness provisions whilst it made its assessment. The assessment concluded that she had become homeless intentionally, and therefore terminated the licence and set out to evict her. She claimed that the authority had to get a court authority before so evicting her. … Continue reading Desnousse v London Borough of Newham and others: CA 17 May 2006
(Trinidad and Tobago) The appellant challenged the automatic death sentence imposed upon him for murder. Held: There were conflicting constitutional provisions. Following Fisher, in the context of issues of capital sentences a wider view was required. The death penalty should no longer be read as mandatory. Legislation since 1976 meant that the court now had … Continue reading Balkissoon Roodal v The State: PC 20 Nov 2003
Various applications were made in the insolvency, including for removal of the liquidators and declarations that certain payments were a fraudulent preference on the creditors. Held: No prejudice had been shown by any procedural irregularity. Other creditors should be able to see that there is a proper investigation of relevant matters relating to inter-company transfers, … Continue reading Quickson (South and West) Limited v Stephen Mark Katz, John Stephen Kelmanson (As Joint Liquidators of Buildlead Limited): ChD 25 Aug 2004
The court considered an application under section 108 to remove the liquidator, and reviewed the case law on the topic: ‘The section authorises the court to remove the liquidator ‘on cause shown’. That is not the same as saying ‘if the court shall think fit’. There is a burden on the applicant to show why … Continue reading In re Keypak Homecare Ltd: ChD 1987
Four members of the Ulster Volunteer Force had combined to inflict punishment on an allegedly delinquent member of the organisation. The punishment was to consist of knee-capping (the firing of a bullet or bullets into a knee or other joint, so as to cripple but not kill the victim) and a beating. In the event … Continue reading Regina v Gamble: 1989
Challenge to the making of a non-party costs order under section 51 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 against the product liability insurer of one of the defendants in litigation being managed under a Group Litigation Order (‘GLO’). Many of the claimants in the successful action were not insured, and Travelers, the defendant’s insurers resisted … Continue reading Travelers Insurance Company Ltd v XYZ: SC 30 Oct 2019
Rylands does not apply to Statutory Works The claimant laid a large gas main through an embankment. A large water supply pipe nearby broke, and very substantial volumes of water escaped, causing the embankment to slip, and the gas main to fracture. Held: The rule in Rylands v Fletcher continues to exist as a remedy … Continue reading Transco plc v Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council: HL 19 Nov 2003
The fundamental principle that equity is concerned to prevent unconscionable conduct permeates all the elements of the doctrine of estoppel. In the light of the more recent cases, the principle ‘requires a very much broader approach which is directed rather at ascertaining whether, in particular individual circumstances, it would be unconscionable for a party to … Continue reading Taylors Fashions Ltd v Liverpool Victoria Trustees Co Ltd: ChD 1981
IVA is a special form of contract Liquidators asked the court whether sums sought by the insolvent company’s landlords were payable and or provable. Under an IVA, the copany had been paying reduced rents, but the arrangement document provided that the full rents would be restored on its cessation. The liquidators challenged the clause as … Continue reading Wright and Another (Liquidators of SHB Realisations Ltd) v The Prudential Assurance Company Ltd: ChD 6 Mar 2018
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
The court was asked as to the extent to which a court, having once declared its decision, could later change its mind. Though this case arose with in care proceedings, the court asked it as a general question. The judge in a fact finding hearing in care proceedings had issued a provisional judgment, but after … Continue reading Re L and B (Children): SC 20 Feb 2013
Wife in Occupation had Overriding Interest The wife had made a substantial financial contribution to the purchase price of the house which was registered only in her husband’s name, and charged to the bank. The bank sought possession. The wife resisted saying that she had an overriding interest. Held: Her equitable interest was not only … Continue reading Williams and Glyn’s Bank Ltd v Boland: HL 19 Jun 1980
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
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 defendant had obtained a licence to extract oil from its land. In order to do so it had to drill out and deep under the Bocardo’s land. No damage at all was caused to B’s land at or near the surface. B claimed in trespass for damages. It now appealed against an order reducing … Continue reading Star Energy Weald Basin Ltd and Another v Bocardo Sa: SC 28 Jul 2010
The Chagos Islands had been a British dependent territory since 1814. The British government repatriated the islanders in the 1960s, and the Ilois now sought damages for their wrongful displacement, misfeasance, deceit, negligence and to establish a . .
