In an allegation of misfeasance in public office, a complainant who says he has been affected by the alleged misfeasance, has sufficient locus standi to claim. Parliamentary materials are admissible to discover purpose of an Act, and not just in . .
The claimants had been air passengers who were unlawfully detained in Kuwait, when their plane was captured whilst on the ground on the invasion of Kuwait. They sought damages for that detention.
Held: There are no exceptions to the Warsaw . .
The burden of proof which falls on a disappointed beneficiary who seeks rectification of the will, saying that the will did not give effect to a testator’s intentions, is an exacting one.
Chadwick J said: ‘Although the standard of proof . .
An action against ship in rem prevents a personal action against the owner; there would be a risk of double jeopardy. . .
Hudoc Preliminary objection rejected (non-exhaustion); No violation of Art. 6-1; Not necessary to examine Art. 14+6-1
‘the Court’s task is to ascertain whether the proceedings in their entirety were ‘fair’ . .
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 . .
Silent telephone calls which resulted in psychiatric damage to the victim could constitute an ‘assault occasioning actual bodily harm’ for the purposes of section 47 of the 1861 Act. Swinton Thomas LJ said: ‘The early cases pre-date the invention of . .
The plaintiffs were patients of the defendant dentist who had carried out unnecessary treatment on them; they claimed damages for trespass and sought aggravated damages.
Held: There was no reason in principle why awards of aggravated damages . .
CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT – Damages for breach of contract
UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Constructive dismissal
UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Compensation
UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Contributory fault
UNFAIR DISMISSAL – Polkey deduction
The . .
The claimants brought a claim in passing-off first obtaining an interim injunction but then failing at trial. The defendants then claimed under the undertaking in damages given. The claimants now sought to say that the injunction could have been . .
The employee claimed damages after injury at work using scaffolding equipment supplied by his employers which was upset by the violent act of a fellow employee.
Held: The equipment when used properly was safe. It only became dangerous if . .
(New Zealand) A company was sold with a warranty that the sales figures would meet projected earnings. The purchaser successfully complained after the event that the figures were false and misleading. They appealed an order increasing the damages on . .
. .
The plaintiff claimed damages for acute stress after failing to rescue his two daughters in an accident caused by the defendant. After the accident, he became involved in family proceedings concerning custody of other children. Medical reports used . .
. .
The plaintiffs claimed damages for patent infringement. Some of the lost profits for which the plaintiff company claimed damages were suffered by subsidiary companies in which it held all the shares.
Held: When a shareholder has a cause of . .
An out of time claim for defamation was allowed after late disclosures by the defendant bank in the case. . .
. .
Mr Page was taken on to trade in commodities for the defendant for a minimum period of four years. Six months later the defendant’s parent company decided to cease trading activities, and he began proceedings claiming compensation under regulation . .
Articles in consecutive issues of The Sunday Mirror accused the plaintiff of pimping for the KGB, organising sex with prostitutes for visiting British businessmen and then blackmailing them. The defendants pleaded justification. The plaintiff . .
Damages awarded against a surveyor for a negligent survey which had missed certain defects, were not to be reduced for repairs later carried out by the landlord at his own expense. The trial judge decided to award damages reflecting the difference . .
In an action for damages and false imprisonment, the defendant police officers sought to have introduced the claimant’s previous criminal record, which was expired under the 1974 Act.
Held: The judge had been correct not to follow practice in . .
Race discrimination which took place after a dismissal was not unlawful within the section, since that first required the context of employment, and after the dismissal, the applicant was no longer in that employment. The natural meaning of the . .
The defendant neighbour had carried out construction works on a joint structure involving its demolition. He had not complied with the requirements of the 1917 Act.
Held: A neighbour doing work on a party wall without complying with the . .
The plaintiff claimed damages from the seller of land and from their solicitors for misrepresentation in the replies to enquiries before contract. He appealed a striking out of his claim.
Held: A lawyer’s disclaimer placed on his Replies to . .
A Local Authority found guilty of a statutory nuisance is not thereby liable for a civil damages suit. . .
The county court judge had allowed damages to the claimant, who owned a property which suffered from persistent water penetration, general damages for breach of the 1972 Act, the sum of andpound;1,500 a year for the four years during which the . .
There was a two-storey end of terrace house in North London owned by Mr Sadiq and his neighbours, Mr and Mrs Louis. The appellant had commenced substantial works to his house, which caused damage to the party wall. The appellant had not complied . .
Bench sold vinyl film to Fasson for decals to identify sea-borne bulk containers. A term required the film to be legible condition for at least five years. Fasson sold them to container manufacturers who supplied the containers marked with the . .
The distinction normally made between primary and secondary victims claiming damages for shock in witnessing a terrible event does not apply to employees who were obliged by their contract to be present. . .
The plaintiff was a member of a scheme providing permanent health insurance benefits. The issue was whether the insurance monies received by the plaintiff were to be treated as sick pay (and therefore deductible from the damages) or insurance monies . .
The council purchased software from the defendants to calculate council taxes. Mistakes in the software undercalculated the amounts required to be recovered causing the council substantial losses. The company sought to rely upon a clause in the . .
Individual officers, but not the police force itself are answerable in a race discrimination claim. The force is not vicariously liable for an individual officer’s acts. . .
LMA An Industrial tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to entertain Francovich state liability for damages actions – these must be heard by the ordinary courts. . .
. .
The claimant sought damages after a car skidded on the road, and she was injured. She said the respondent was in breach of their statutory duty in having failed to clear the road. The authority said it had taken the appropriate steps to clear up the . .
The defendant authority appealed a finding that it was liable in negligence from the conduct of one of its environmental health officers. The plaintiff had set out to refurbish and open a restaurant. He said the officer gave him a list of things he . .
The defendant agreed to indemnify the insured ‘in respect of all sums which the insured shall become legally liable to pay as compensation arising out of’ various matters including wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment. The . .
The claimant had been convicted of the murder of PC Blakelock. The only substantial evidence was in the form of the notes of interview he said were fabricated by senior officers. His eventual appeal on this basis was not resisted. He now appealed . .
No issue estoppel on land value arose from a previous Secretary’s finding on Lands Tribunal. . .
A strictly mathematical approach to calculating ancillary relief can be inappropriate in large sum cases. The statutory jurisdiction has to provide for all applications for ancillary financial relief, from the poverty stricken to the . .
The employer provided fund management services to private clients. The notice periods for the various employees ranged between three and twelve months, but the handbook governing the terms of employment provided that during the respective notice . .
The plaintiff actor said that an article by the defendant labelling him ugly was defamatory. The defendant denied that the words were defamatory.
Held: It is for the jury to decide in what context the words complained of were used and whether . .
A Bank was to assume that undue influence existed where they knew that an employee was giving security for his employer’s debt to the bank. An unlimited guarantee given by an employee to his employer’s bank was set aside as unconscionable. The . .
The respondent mortgagee had obtained an order for possession against the mortgagor freeholder, referred to in the judgment as ‘the Chief’, who had, prior to the mortgage, granted a tenancy to the appellant.
Held: The landlord’s retention of a . .
Consent to amendment of defence wrongfully refused without finding of mala fides. . .
It was claimed that a loan to the employee from a customer of the employer coupled with an exclusive supply agreement by the employee as and when the competing business becomes operative was in breach of an non-compete clause.
Held: The . .
The threats provisions may have the effect of making litigation more rather than less likely. The exclusion in the subsection is limited in its scope. It does not give rise to a general entitlement to threaten manufacturers or importers or users. In . .
Russell LJ said: ‘It is to be observed that at no stage in the judgment does the judge refer to and emphasise, as in my judgment he should have done, the fact that the plaintiff here was emerging from a minor road onto a major road, and was . .
When testing whether a valuation was negligent, it would not be enough for the plaintiff to show that there have been errors at some stage of the valuation unless they can also show that the final valuation was wrong. would not be enough for the . .
Statutory damages awarded for a wrongful eviction must allow for other the fact that parts of the property were in occupation by others. The comparison required by the Act ‘necessarily involved valuing the unincumbered interest on a factual as . .
The Warsaw Convention allows ‘forum shopping’, and the doctrine of forum non conveniens applies. Article 28(1) specifies the jurisdictions in which claims under the Convention may be brought. If the English Court is one of those jurisdictions, then . .
A prisoner who had been remanded to police cells had no claim of damages for false imprisonment for his later non-release. . .
A Local Authority may recover its costs of of providing social care as damages even though had made no charge at time. . .
A soldier in the Artillery Regiment was serving in Saudi Arabia in the course of the Gulf war. He was injured when he was part of a team managing a Howitzer, which was firing live rounds into Iraq, and he was standing in front of the gun when it was . .
The claimant challenged a decision that the council could properly refuse to re-instate him after a wrongful dismissal. . .
The defendant newspaper said that allegations had been made against the plaintiff that he was not paying his debts. In their defence they pleaded justification and the fact that he was being sued for debt.
Held: A defamation was not to be . .
The claimant had been dismissed as a teacher by the respondent Roman Catholic school after she became pregnant by a priest. She had been found to have been unfairly dismissed, but the tribunal had rejected her claim of discrimination for pregnancy. . .
(4th Circuit – United States) The appellant worked for two years as a domestic servant in the home of the respondent diplomats. The appellant brought proceedings claiming damages for breach of the terms of her contract of employment. In response to . .
Member states may be liable to individuals for their failure to implement EU laws. The right of individuals to rely on directly applicable provisions of the EC Treaty before national courts is not sufficient in itself to ensure full and complete . .
VICTIMISATION DISCRIMINATION – Protected disclosure
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Disposal of appeal including remission
The Court of Appeal had remitted back to the Tribunal the issue of a Chagger claim for damages for stigma loss, following . .
References: [1997] Aust Torts Reports 81-416, (1996) 41 NSWLR 176, [1996] NSWSC 651 Links: Austlii Coram: Mahoney ACJ, Handley JA, Giles AJA (Supreme Court of New South Wales) Defamation – Damages – Aggravated and general damages – Economic loss with respect to professional standing – Principles relevant to assessment of damages for defamation – Relationship … Continue reading Crampton v Nugawela; 23 Dec 1996
1267 – 1278 – 1285 – 1297 – 1361 – 1449 – 1491 – 1533 – 1677 – 1688 – 1689 – 1700 – 1706 – 1710 – 1730 – 1737 – 1738 – 1751 – 1774 – 1792 – 1793 – 1804 – 1814 – 1819 – 1824 – 1828 – 1831 – 1832 … Continue reading Acts
Judges: Forbes J Citations: [2006] EWHC 820 (QB) Links: Bailii Statutes: Damages Act 1996 291)(a) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Professional Negligence, Damages Updated: 05 July 2022; Ref: scu.240427
The claimant baby had suffered catastrophic injuries at birth in the defendant’s hospital. Liability having been admitted, the court now considered whether damages should be paid as a lump sum or by periodical payments. Held: ‘ the form of award which best meets this Claimant’s needs in respect of the provision of future care is … Continue reading A v B Hospitals NHS Trust: Admn 10 Nov 2006
The respondent Health Authority had refused to consent to payment to the claimant of damages for personal injury by periodical payments under a with profits structured settlement made under Section 2 of the 1996 Act. Held: The decision was not amenable to judicial review because the function being performed by the Health Authority, as it … Continue reading Hopley, Regina (on the Application of) v Liverpool Health Authority and others: Admn 30 Jul 2002
Economic circumstances have not changed sufficiently yet to alter the rate of three per cent used when calculating damages in personal injury cases. Though the returns on government stocks had fallen the figure of two per cent was not yet appropriate, and lay within the range of returns contemplated when the original figures had been … Continue reading Robertson Or Macey-Lillie v Lanarkshire Health Board &C: OHCS 26 May 2000
Where it was proposed to the court to apply a different discount rate when determining investment return on a sum awarded in a personal injury action as damages for future pecuniary loss, as against the rate set under the Lord Chancellor’s guidelines, the court must look at the Lord Chancellor’s reasons for fixing the rate, … Continue reading Warriner v Warriner: CA 24 Jan 2002
It was appropriate to reduce the interest discount rate used to calculate damages awards in personal injury cases for future losses, from 3 per cent to 2 per cent. This reflected the general reduction in such interest rates since the Act came into effect. The House of Lords had set down guidelines for the discount … Continue reading Barry v Ablerex Construction (Midlands) Ltd: CA 30 Mar 2001
It was not open to lower courts to reduce the guideline discount interest rate applied to damages awards to account for future returns. The original figure was set in the Act and by the House of Lords in Wells v Wells. Also the lower rates of interest currently applying are not sufficiently different to justify … Continue reading Warren v Northern General Hospital Trust: CA 10 Apr 2000
The claimant appealed against his damages award, saying that it should have allowed for the anticipated rises in the cost of providing his care in the future. Held: Rises in future costs were already factored into the tables used for settlements. Attempts to show that rises would be more substantial trended to undermine that system, … Continue reading Cooke, Sheppard, Page v United Bristol Health Care, Stibbe and Another, Lee: CA 16 Oct 2003
After a delay of delay 5 years, the judge deducted two years interest from the award to reflect the plaintiff’s delay. Judges: Latham J Citations: Times 30-Mar-2000, [2000] PIQR Q263 Statutes: Damages Act 1996 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: Applied – Wells v Wells; Thomas v Brighton Health Authority; etc HL 16-Jul-1998 In each of … Continue reading Barry v Ablerex Construction (Midlands) Ltd: QBD 22 Mar 2000
In each of three cases, the plaintiffs had suffered serious injury. They complained that the court had made a substantial reduction of their damages award for loss of future earnings and the costs of future care. Held: The appeals succeeded. The purpose of an award of damages in tort was to make good to the … Continue reading Wells v Wells; Thomas v Brighton Health Authority; etc: HL 16 Jul 1998
The claimant was severely injured and claimed for loss of future earnings and future care. The defendant admitted liability. In the statement of case for damages, the claimant contended that, if the court made an order for periodic payments, it should disapply or modify section 2(8) and provide for the amount of such payments to … Continue reading Flora v Wakom (Heathrow) Ltd: CA 28 Jul 2006
The court set out the legal principles applying when making a Periodical Payments Order in an award of damages for serious personal injury. The periodical payments payable to the claimant in respect of his care costs should be calculated by . .
The court was asked what is the correct approach to the making of an interim payment in a heavy personal injury claim where the damages, when finally assessed, are likely to include one or more periodical payments orders pursuant to section 2 of the . .
The claimant as a child had taken methadone left about the house by his parents. He sought compensation from the CICB. The parties now disagreed as to the calculation of interest of the damages award. . .
. .
References: Times 28-Jun-2000, [2000] ScotCS 136 Links: Bailii, ScotC Coram: Lord Philip Economic circumstances have not changed sufficiently yet to alter the rate of three per cent used when calculating damages in personal injury cases. Though the returns on government stocks had fallen the figure of two per cent was not yet appropriate, and lay … Continue reading Robertson Or Macey-Lillie v Lanarkshire Health Board andC: OHCS 26 May 2000
The various insured defendants had been driven in the insured vehicles by a non-insured driver. Suffering injury at the negligence of the driver, they recovered variously damages. Their insurance companies sought recovery of the sums paid from their respective insureds under the policy terms, section 151 and under European law. Appeals and cross appeals were … Continue reading Churchill Insurance Company Ltd v Wilkinson and Others: CA 19 May 2010
EAT UNFAIR DISMISSAL: Compensation The Employment Tribunal found the Respondent unfairly dismissed the Claimant for raising a question about her statutory rights. She had been employed for 10 weeks and was entitled to one month’s notice. It awarded compensation effectively of 7 weeks’ pay. It found she would have been dismissed within that time in … Continue reading Ward v Ashkenazi: EAT 22 Mar 2010
The court was asked: ‘Was it unlawful for the Secretary of State for Health, the respondent, who had power to make provisions for the functioning of the National Health Service in England, to have failed to make a provision which would have enabled women who were citizens of the UK, but who were usually resident … Continue reading A and B, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for Health: SC 14 Jun 2017
The claimant was awarded damages from his employers, who claimed that the benefits received by the claimant from an insurance policy to which the defendants had contributed should be set off against the claim. Held: McCamley was no longer good law as it applied to insurance policies where the employer had paid the premiums. There … Continue reading Pirelli General Plc and others v Gaca: CA 26 Mar 2004
The parties had settled their disagreement, but now disputed the interpretation of the settlement. The defendant sought to be allowed to give in evidence correspondence leading up to the settlement which had been conducted on a without prejudice basis. Held: The evidence was not admissible. There was no additional class of situation where without prejudice … Continue reading Oceanbulk Shipping and Trading Sa v TMT Asia Ltd: CA 15 Feb 2010
A prior art recital in a Patent application is strong but rebuttable evidence of the state of knowledge. Judges: Jacob J Citations: Ind Summary 30-Jan-1995, [1995] RPC 383 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Appeal From – Gerber Garment Technology Inc v Lectra Systems Limited Lectra Systemes SA CA 18-Dec-1996 The plaintiffs claimed damages for … Continue reading Gerber Garment Technology Inc v Lectra Systems Ltd: ChD 30 Jan 1995
The deceased had died in an accident whilst filming in Spain for the defendants. The plaintiff personal representatives sought damages here, while the defendants denied that the court had jurisdiction under the 1968 Convention, and said that the death actually occurred as a consequence of the negligence of his medical treatment in Spain. Judges: Phillips … Continue reading Kinnear and Others v Falconfilms Nv and Others: QBD 27 Jan 1994
A school board employed staff to manage a residential school for vulnerable children. The staff committed sexual abuse of the children. The school denied vicarious liability for the acts of the teachers. Held: ‘Vicarious liability is legal responsibility imposed on an employer, although he is himself free from blame, for a tort committed by his … Continue reading Lister and Others v Hesley Hall Ltd: HL 3 May 2001
The council tenant had wished to appeal following a possession order made after her tenancy had been demoted. The court handed down a supplemental judgment to give effect to its earlier decision. The Court had been asked ‘whether article 8 of the . . Convention . . requires a court, which is being asked to … Continue reading Manchester City Council v Pinnock: SC 9 Feb 2011
Criminality of Assisting Suicide not Infringing The court was asked: ‘whether the present state of the law of England and Wales relating to assisting suicide infringes the European Convention on Human Rights, and whether the code published by the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to prosecutions of those who are alleged to have assisted a … Continue reading Nicklinson and Another, Regina (on The Application of): SC 25 Jun 2014
The claimant journalist sought disclosure of papers acquired by the respondent in its conduct of enquiries into the charitable Mariam appeal. The Commission referred to an absolute exemption under section 32(2) of the 2000 Act, saying that the exemption continued until the papers were destroyed, or for 20 years under the 1958 Act. Held: The … Continue reading Kennedy v The Charity Commission: SC 26 Mar 2014
Evidence from 3rd Party Torture Inadmissible The applicants had been detained following the issue of certificates issued by the respondent that they posed a terrorist threat. They challenged the decisions of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission saying that evidence underlying the decisions had probably been obtained by torture committed by foreign powers, and should not … Continue reading A and others v Secretary of State for the Home Department (No 2): HL 8 Dec 2005
Anonymised Party to Proceedings The BBC challenged an order made by the Court of Session in judicial review proceedings, permitting the applicant review to delete his name and address and substituting letters of the alphabet, in the exercise (or, as the BBC argues, purported exercise) of a common law power. The court also gave directions … Continue reading A v British Broadcasting Corporation (Scotland): SC 8 May 2014
Three applicants had lied on entry to secure admission, stayed for a considerable time, and had been treated as illegal immigrants under section 33(1). The fourth’s claim that upon being returned he would been killed, had been rejected without investigation. Held: A claim to refugee status was not an exception to the ban on appeals … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for the Home Department ex parte Bugdaycay: HL 19 Feb 1986
Twins were conjoined (Siamese). Medically, both could not survive, and one was dependent upon the vital organs of the other. Doctors applied for permission to separate the twins which would be followed by the inevitable death of one of them. The parents, devout Roman Catholics, resisted. Held: The parents’ views were subject to the overriding … Continue reading In Re A (Minors) (Conjoined Twins: Medical Treatment); aka In re A (Children) (Conjoined Twins: Surgical Separation): CA 22 Sep 2000
The claimant sought to continue an interim injunction obtained without notice. The claimant sought to restrain former employees misusing information it claimed they had taken with them. The claimants said that having objected to a transfer of their employments they had not become employees of the claimant. Held: Where an employee did not know the … Continue reading New ISG Ltd v Vernon and others: ChD 14 Nov 2007
The claimant sought damages for an article published by the defendant, who argued that as a corporation, the claimant corporation needed to show special damage, and also that the publication had qualified privilege. Held: ‘It is an established principle of the law of libel in this country that a claimant, whether individual or corporate, does … Continue reading Jameel and Another v Wall Street Journal Europe Sprl (No 2): CA 3 Feb 2005
The plaintiff was a manager within the social services department. He suffered a mental breakdown in 1986, and had four months off work. His employers had refused to provide the increased support he requested. He had returned to work, but again, did not receive the staff or guidance to allow him to do the work … Continue reading Walker v Northumberland County Council: QBD 16 Nov 1994
The Judge may impose a schedule for the examination of witnesses if there is a severe overrun of the case at the hearing. Citations: Times 05-Aug-1994 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Citing: See Also – Vernon v Bosley (1) CA 8-Apr-1994 Though the judge had a right to exclude admissible evidence, it remained a balancing exercise … Continue reading Vernon v Bosley: QBD 5 Aug 1994
The parties had contracted for sale and purchase of butane for processing. It was said to have been contaminated. The parties now disputed the effect on damages for breach including on causation, remoteness, mitigation and quantum. Held: The recklessness of the defendant was an intervening act sufficient to affect the chain of causation. Judges: Gross … Continue reading Borealis Ab v Geogas Trading Sa: ComC 9 Nov 2010
An assignment of the benefit of a covenant in a lease held to be sufficiently connected with enjoyment of the property as not to be a bare right of action. The assignment was not void. Scrutton LJ stated that the assignee of a cause of action was not guilty of maintenance or champerty by reason … Continue reading Ellis v Torrington: CA 1920
