The claimant sought an order requiring delivery of possession of land occupied by the respondent objectors. They needed to remove trees from the land in order to construct a runway on their own adjacent land. The claimant had been granted a licence to enter on the land to remove the trees. The respondents said the … Continue reading Manchester Airport Plc v Dutton and others: CA 23 Feb 1999
The claimant sought judicial review challenging the restrictions on the sale of electoral registers to registered credit reference agencies. Following Robertson (1) the new regulations created two registers, and the claimant sought to be able to purchase the records for its register of addresses. Held: The consultation had been adequate. The regulations did not create … Continue reading I-CD Publishing Ltd v The Secretary of State, The Information Commissioner (Interested Party): Admn 21 Jul 2003
The police had arrested three peaceful but vociferous preachers when some members of a crowd gathered round them threatened hostility. Held: Freedom of speech means nothing unless it includes the freedom to be irritating, contentious, eccentric, heretical, unwelcome and provocative provided it did not tend to provoke violence. There was no reasonable inference available in … Continue reading Redmond-Bate v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 23 Jul 1999
The claimant had agreed with a developer in 1999 to allow a development which would have a minor affect on his light. The developer later extended the development, to increase the interference with the right to light, relying on the earlier agreement as an abandonment of the right. The claimant sought to register a light … Continue reading Salvage Wharf Ltd and Another v G and S Brough Ltd: CA 29 Jan 2009
The claimants asserted a right of light either by prescription or under lost modern grant. The defendants argued that alterations in the windows arrangements meant that any prescription period was restarted. Held: ‘the Defendant is not correct to submit that any significant alteration in a window during the running of the 20 year period, means … Continue reading CGIS City Plaza Shares 1 Ltd and Another v Britel Fund Trustees Ltd: ChD 13 Jun 2012
The claimants sought a declaration that part of the Regulations were invalid, and an infringement of their human rights. The Regulations sought to exempt church schools from an obligation not to discriminate against homosexual teachers. Held: The Regulation was within the scope of the Directive. Though a member state had some freedom in implementing a … Continue reading Regina (Amicus etc) v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry: Admn 26 Apr 2004
A civil proceedings order was sought against the respondent. The respondent had commenced many actions against a particular company, which it was claimed were vindictive in nature. Held: Though the earliest proceedings had been vexatious it was not possible to characterise more recent attempts to litigate as such. ‘An improper motive may convert an otherwise … Continue reading HM Attorney-General v Ian Richard Flack: Admn 29 Nov 2000
The claimant was a member of Parliament and an author. The defendant published a column which was said to give the impression that the claimant had written it. It was a parody. The claim was in passing off. Held: The first issue was whether a substantial number of readers had been misled. The deception must … Continue reading Alan Kenneth McKenzie Clark v Associated Newspapers Ltd: PatC 21 Jan 1998
The authority acquired several plots of land at different times, some compulsorily, and others pursuant to purchase notice. It granted a lease to the second respondent who built on it. In 1969 the Council granted the applicants an area of adjoining land and by the transfer covenanted not to interfere with light or air passing … Continue reading Regina v City of London Corporation and Another Ex Parte Mystery of the Barbers of London: QBD 28 Jun 1996
The claimant had been compulsorily detained under the Act. He complained that the detention and compulsory medication infringed his rights, and amongst other things breached his religious beliefs. Held: This was an exceptional case requiring attendance of the doctors to allow the testing of their evidence. The administration of anti-psychotic medication to PS would not … Continue reading PS, Regina (on the Application of) v Responsible Medical Officer, Dr G and others: Admn 10 Oct 2003
The court considered the status of residents of almshouses, and in particular whether they were licensees or tenants with associated security. Held: The occupier’s appeal failed: ‘We do not accept the proposition that, if and insofar as Mrs Watts was a beneficiary of the Charity, her occupation was that of tenant at will of the … Continue reading Watts v Stewart and Others: CA 8 Dec 2016
The tenant had been secure but had his tenancy had been reduced to an insecure demoted tenancy after he was accused of anti-social behaviour. He had not himself been accused of any misbehaviour, but it was said that he should have controlled his family members. The county court had been unwilling to allow any challenge … Continue reading Manchester City Council v Pinnock: SC 3 Nov 2010
The defendant had been brought to the UK in a manner which was in breach of extradition law. He had, in effect, been kidnapped by the authorities. Held: The High Court may look at how an accused person was brought within the jurisdiction when examining a question about that person’s detention. It is axiomatic ‘that … Continue reading Regina v Horseferry Road Magistrates’ Court, ex Parte Bennett (No 1): HL 24 Jun 1993
The claimant complained that the UK Armed forces had taken part in his unlawful rendition from Iraq by the US government. He had been detaiined in Iraq and transferred to US Forces. The government became aware that he was to be removed to Afghanistan, but were not notified. He remained detained by US Forces. An … Continue reading Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs v Rahmatullah: SC 31 Oct 2012
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A proposed ring road had been cancelled. The landowners applied for certificates of appropriate alternative development. The Minister confirmed the negative certificates which had been issued by the local planning authority. It was contended that the question whether planning permission might reasonably have been expected to be granted should be considered not as at the … Continue reading Jelson v Minister of Housing and Local Government: CA 1969
Vernazza was a vexatious litigant. The Attorney-General obtained an order pursuant to an Act which gave the court power to prohibit such a litigant instituting proceedings without leave. Vernazza appealed. Between the making of the original order and the hearing of the appeal the Act was amended to allow orders to be made prohibiting the … Continue reading Attorney General v Vernazza: HL 1960
Practical Realities of Planning Decisions The House considered planning procedures adopted on the construction of two new stretches of motorway, and in particular as to whether the Secretary of State had acted unlawfully in refusing to allow objectors to the scheme to cross-examine the Department’s witnesses. Held: He had not acted unlawfully (Lord Edmud-Davies dissenting). … Continue reading Bushell v Secretary of State for the Environment: HL 7 Feb 1980
The court was asked to make an order against persons unknown in order to recover land. Although an owner of land which was being occupied by squatters was entitled to take the remedy into his own hand, he was encouraged to go to a common law court . .
