The council sought damages saying that their former chief executive had not disclosed her history of depressive illness when applying for her job.
Held: The replies were not dishonest as the form could have been misconstrued. The claim failed.
Hamblen J
[2009] EWHC 1253 (QB)
Bailii
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Fowkes And Another, Executors and Co, v The Manchester And London Life Assurance And Loan Association 1-May-1863
A life policy of insurance was entered into with a Company on the life of HF, which was founded on a written declaration of the assured agreed to be the basis of the contract between the parties, and contained a proviso that ‘if any statement in the . .
Cited – Revell v London General Insurance Co 1934
MacKinnon J said: ‘if there is an ambiguity in this question so that upon one view of the reasonable meaning which is conveyed to the reasonable reader of it the answer was not false, the company cannot say that on the other meaning of the words the . .
Cited – Hunter v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police HL 19-Nov-1981
No collateral attack on Jury findigs.
An attempt was made to open up in a civil action, allegations of assaults by the police prior to the making of confessions which had been disposed of in a voir dire in the course of a criminal trial. The plaintiffs had imprisoned having spent many . .
Cited – Wishart v National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux Ltd CA 1990
Mustill LJ said: ‘Undeniably, it is possible for an employer to make an offer conditional on something to be objectively determined (for example, the passing of a medical examination).’ . .
Cited – In re B (Children) (Care Proceedings: Standard of Proof) (CAFCASS intervening) HL 11-Jun-2008
Balance of probabilities remains standard of proof
There had been cross allegations of abuse within the family, and concerns by the authorities for the children. The judge had been unable to decide whether the child had been shown to be ‘likely to suffer significant harm’ as a consequence. Having . .
Cited – Zeller v British Caymanian Insurance Company Ltd PC 16-Jan-2008
(Cayman Islands) The Board considered the effect of a misdeclaration on a proposal for medical insurance.
Lord Bingham considered a statement which was said to be ‘complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief’. Lord Bingham . .
Cited – In re H and R (Minors) (Child Sexual Abuse: Standard of Proof) HL 14-Dec-1995
Evidence allowed – Care Application after Abuse
Children had made allegations of serious sexual abuse against their step-father. He was acquitted at trial, but the local authority went ahead with care proceedings. The parents appealed against a finding that a likely risk to the children had still . .
Cited – Avon Insurance v Swire Fraser Ltd 2000
The claimant sought damages, alleging misrepresentation.
Held: Damages under section 2(1) of the 1967 Act are assessed on the fraud measure. The court drew a distinction between a factor which is observed or considered by a plaintiff, or even . .
Cited – Moore Large and Company Ltd v Hermes Credit and Guarantee Plc ComC 20-Jan-2003
An insurance company is not entitled to go outside the scope of the questions it asks. The proposer is entitled to assume that the company asks for the information it wants. . .
Cited – Peek v Gurney HL 31-Jul-1873
A prospectus for an intended company was issued by promoters who were aware of the disastrous liabilities of the business of Overend and Gurney which the company was to purchase. The prospectus made no mention of a deed of arrangement under which . .
Cited – Schwarzkopf Limited v Desmond Quinn SCS 25-Jun-2002
. .
Cited – Morrow v Safeway Stores Plc EAT 21-Sep-2001
The claimant appealed against dismissal of her claim of unfair constructive dismissal. She complained of having been publicly told off. The court considered whether this amounted to a breach of a fundamental term of her contract entitling her to . .
Cited – Eastwood and another v Magnox Electric plc; McCabe v Cornwall County Council and others HL 15-Jul-2004
The first claimants were long standing employees. Mr Eastwood fell out with his manager, who disciplined him using false statements. When Williams refused to provide a false statement he too was disciplined. Each claimed damages for the injury to . .
Cited – Koo Golden East Mongolia v Bank of Nova Scotia and others CA 19-Dec-2007
When making an order for the production of documents by a third party to an action, Sir Anthony Clarke MR said that it is necessary to consider all the circumstances in the light of the fact that Norwich Pharmacal relief is a flexible remedy. . .
Cited – London Borough of Lewisham v Malcolm HL 25-Jun-2008
The tenant had left his flat and sublet it so as to allow the landlord authority an apparently unanswerable claim for possession. The authority appealed a finding that they had to take into account the fact that the tenant was disabled and make . .
Cited – Moores v Bude-Stratton Town Council EAT 27-Mar-2000
EAT Unfair Dismissal – Reason for dismissal including substantial other reason
Lindsay J said: ‘As for determining whether a wrongdoer is on his own business, just as no single test is nowadays seen to be . .
Cited – Regina v Secretary of State for Trade ex parte Perestrello 1981
When an investigating body is acting in a policing role, looking into whether suspicions of wrongdoing are justified by what they find, ‘it is wholly inappropriate for the case to be approached in the same way as one would approach a person . .
Cited – Regina v Avon County Council Ex Parte Crabtree CA 15-Nov-1995
Rules of natural justice need not always be followed if the context requires. The scope of the common law rule against bias and its application to the facts of a particular case depends on what the facts are, as does the content of the obligation to . .
Cited – Chandler v London Borough of Camden Admn 13-Feb-2009
Forbes J considered the test for whether apparent bias was shown when it was suggested that the local authority may have already made up its mind on a school re-organisation. . .
Cited – Baron v Crown Prosection Service 13-Jun-2000
Morison J said: ‘Equally, citizens have an unfettered access to the Courts to resolve disputes and to conduct those proceedings forcefully, causing legitimate aggravation to the other party within the procedural rules. Persons will or may feel . .
Cited – Allen v London Borough of Southwark CA 12-Nov-2008
The claimant appealed against a strike out of his claim for harrassment after being subjected to five sets of possession proceedings by the defendant, each of which relied upon the same bad point.
Held: The Court refused to strike out a claim . .
Cited – Gleeson v J Wippell and Co Ltd ChD 1977
The court considered the circumstances giving rise to a plea of res judicata, and proposed a test of privity in cases which did not fall into any recognised category. ‘Second, it seems to me that the sub-stratum of the doctrine is that a man ought . .
Doubted – Royscot Trust Ltd v Rogerson 1991
Doyle -v- Olby (Ironmongers) Ltd was an appropriate way of assessing damages for an action under the Act, and damages are calculated on the basis of fraud.
A client misled into an investment is entitled to the measure of damages he would . .
Cited – Kapfunde v Abbey National Plc and Dr Daniel and Another CA 25-Mar-1998
A Doctor employed by a potential employer to report on the health of applicants for employment, owed no duty of care to those applicants. . .
Cited – Johnson v Gore Wood and Co HL 14-Dec-2000
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 . .
Cited – Thomas v News Group Newspapers Ltd and Simon Hughes CA 18-Jul-2001
A civilian police worker had reported officers for racist remarks. The newspaper repeatedly printed articles and encouraged correspondence which was racially motivated, to the acute distress of the complainant.
Held: Repeated newspaper stories . .
Cited – Cain v Francis CA 18-Dec-2008
The court was asked under what circumstances it should exercise its discretion to extend the limitation period under section 33.
Held: Lady Justice Smith said: ‘It appears to me that there is now a long line of authority to support the . .
Cited – Hewison v Meridian Shipping Pte, Coflexip Stena Offshore Ltd, Flex Installer Offshore Ltd CA 11-Dec-2002
The claimant was awarded damages for injuries suffered in his work as a seaman. The respondents claimed that he should not receive damages, since he had made false declarations as to his health in order to obtain employment, hiding his epilepsy . .
Cited – Standard Chartered Bank v Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Standard Chartered Bank v Pakistan National Shipping Corporation and Others and Another and Others (Nos 2 and 4) HL 6-Nov-2002
Fraudulent Misrepresentation by Company Director
Fraudulent bills of lading had been issued in order to rely upon letters of credit issued by the bank. The director signing the bills sought to avoid personal liability, saying it was the Act of the company. The defendant company also appealed on . .
Cited – Banco de Portugal v Waterlow and Sons Ltd HL 28-Apr-1932
Lord Macmillan said: ‘Where the sufferer from a breach of contract finds himself in consequence of that breach placed in position of embarrassment the measures which he may be driven to adopt in order to extricate himself ought not to be weighed in . .
Cited – Smith New Court Securities Ltd v Scrimgeour Vickers HL 21-Nov-1996
The defendant had made misrepresentations, inducing the claimant to enter into share transactions which he would not otherwise have entered into, and which lost money.
Held: A deceitful wrongdoer is properly liable for all actual damage . .
Cited – Aerospace Publishing Ltd and Another v Thames Water Utilities Ltd CA 11-Jan-2007
A substantial private archive of valuable books had been damaged when the defendant’s water mains burst. The court was asked to assess the value.
Held: The water company’s appeal failed save to a small extent. The articles were of substantial . .
Cited – British Transport Commission v Gourley HL 1955
It is a universal rule that the plaintiff cannot recover more than he has lost and that realities must be considered rather than technicalities. The damages to be awarded for personal injury including loss of earnings should reflect the fact that . .
Cited – Komercni Banka, A S v Stone and Rolls Ltd and Another ComC 15-Nov-2002
Toulson J discussed a set off against a claim for damages: ‘The question whether an alleged benefit should or should not be taken into account cannot be determined by mere application of the ‘but for’ test. Where the wrongful conduct consists of . .
Cited – Midco Holdings Ltd and Another v Piper CA 6-Apr-2004
Where a defendant in a deceit claim, or in a negligence claim, contends that the claimant must give credit against its losses for financial benefits which are alleged to have resulted from the tort, the evidential burden rests on the defendant to . .
Cited – R+V Versicherung Ag v Risk Insurance and Reinsurance Solutions Sa and others (No 4) ComC 10-Jul-2006
. .
Cited – R+V Versicherung Ag v Risk Insurance and Reinsurance Solutions Sa and others ComC 27-Jan-2006
It had held that the defendant insurance intermediaries were liable to the claimants, a German reinsurance company, because of a conspiracy to defraud the claimants on the part of one of the defendants’ employees. The court had to decide issues of . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Employment
Updated: 05 December 2021; Ref: scu.346900