Arrow Nominees Inc, Blackledge v Blackledge: ChD 2 Nov 1999

The applicants sought to strike out a claim under section 459. The two companies sold toiletries, the one as retail agent for the other. They disputed the relationship of the companies, and the use of a trading name. Documents were disclosed which appeared to be fabrications.
Held: Where a party was in breach of court rules, even in contumacious breach, or in the case of conduct which might amount to fraud, that was not itself sufficient to justify a striking out of a party’s case. The right to a fair trial was paramount, and there are other ways of punishing such behaviour: ‘it is not a proper exercise of the Courts power under the rules or its inherent power to strike out a claimants case where the claimant has been found to be in contumacious breach of the rules or an order of the Court or even is guilty of conduct amounting to a fraud on the Court and so a gross contempt, if it can be shown that notwithstanding the claimants conduct there is no substantial risk that a fair trial of his claim cannot follow.’

Judges:

Evans-Lombe J

Citations:

Times 08-Dec-1999, [1999] EWCA 198, [2000] BCLC 187

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Companies Act 1985 459

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

CitedAllen v Sir Alfred McAlpine and Sons Ltd CA 1968
The court described the peculiarly difficult position of a solicitor sued for the negligence of losing litigation for his client by reason of having his client’s claim struck out: ‘It is true that if the action for professional negligence were . .
CitedBirkett v James HL 1977
Exercise of Power to Strike Out
The court has an inherent power to strike out an action for want of prosecution, and the House set down the conditions for its exercise. The power is discretionary and exercisable only where (a) there has been inordinate and inexcusable delay and . .
CitedLogicrose Ltd v Southend United Football Club Ltd CA 5-Feb-1988
The agent required the contractual counterparty to pay a bribe of pounds 70,000 to an offshore account.
Held: The bribe was held to be recoverable by the principal whether the principal rescinded or affirmed the contract because it was a . .
CitedIn re Jokai Tea Holdings Ltd CA 1989
An ‘unless order’ for the service of particulars of defence was a not obeyed but application was made to amend the defence involving the abandonment of the paragraphs of which particulars had been ordered.
Held: ‘it appears to me that there . .
CitedLandauer Ltd v Comins and Co (a firm) CA 14-May-1991
The first instance Judge had struck out a claim under the provisions of order 24 rule 16(1) in circumstances where a number of relevant documents did not appear on the plaintiffs list of documents and were found to have been destroyed, the . .
CitedLondon Borough of Lambeth v Blandford EAT 20-May-1997
The tribunal considered making an order to strike out Lambeth’s case for failure to comply with orders for directions made by the Tribunal. On the question of the circumstances in which a striking out would be justified under rule 4 of the Tribunal . .
CitedIn Re Swaptronics Ltd ChD 24-Jul-1998
A party who was in contempt of court should not be debarred from continuing to take a proper part in a court action unless that contempt was serious enough seriously to interfere with the fair conduct of the trial. ‘The courts need powers of . .
CitedHadkinson v Hadkinson CA 1952
The courts adopt an approach similar to that of the United States courts where there has been a significant contempt on the part of a party to litigation. Denning LJ said: ‘Those cases seem to me to point the way to the modern rule. It is a strong . .
See alsoArrow Nominees Inc, Blackledge (L) v Blackledge (G), Blackledge (M), Blackledge (GR and MM) ChD 21-Jan-2000
The claimants had begun proceedings claiming unfair prejudice by the defendants in the management of the business. The defendants sought to have the petition struck out saying that the claimants had used falsified documents to base their petition. . .

Cited by:

Appeal fromArrow Nominees Inc and Another v Blackledge and Others CA 22-Jun-2000
A petition had been lodged alleging unfair prejudice in the conduct of the company’s affairs. The defendants alleged that when applying for relief under section 459, the claimants had attempted to pervert the course of justice by producing forged or . .
See AlsoArrow Nominees Inc, Blackledge (L) v Blackledge (G), Blackledge (M), Blackledge (GR and MM) ChD 21-Jan-2000
The claimants had begun proceedings claiming unfair prejudice by the defendants in the management of the business. The defendants sought to have the petition struck out saying that the claimants had used falsified documents to base their petition. . .
CitedRaja v Van Hoogstraten and others ChD 12-Jun-2006
The claimant sought the strike out of the defendants pleadings. The first defendant was found to have been responsible for the killing of the deceased. The proceedings had been prolonged by procedural challenges by the defendant.
Held: The . .
CitedBlockbuster Entertainment Ltd v James CA 25-May-2006
The defendant company appealed against an order re-instating the claimants’ claims for damages for race discrimination and victimisation after they had been struck out for wilful disobedience of the tribunal’s orders.
Held: When making a . .
CitedTisson v Telewest Communications Group Ltd EAT 19-Feb-2008
The claimant’s claim had been struck out for his failure to comply with an order to serve a list of documents.
Held: The appeal failed. The principles applied under the Civil Procedure Rules should be applied in Employment Tribunals. The . .
See AlsoArrow Nominees Inc and others v Blackledge and others CA 28-Feb-2002
. .
See AlsoArrow Nominees Inc and Another v Blackledge and others CA 13-Jul-2004
. .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Litigation Practice, Natural Justice, Company

Updated: 05 November 2022; Ref: scu.136008