The defendant had instituted over 80 fruitless actions over years. He had been made subject to a vexatious litigant order, but the Attorney General now requested additional injunctive relief. This was a very extreme instance of extreme litigation. He had since applied for permission over 150 times to begin different kinds of proceedings. He had … Continue reading HM Attorney-General v Ebert: Admn 21 Sep 2001
Freedom of expression Award of damages against a historian and a publisher for alleging that a public official had collaborated with the state security services during the Communist era: violation Facts – In 2007 a literary and political weekly owned by Irodalom Kft (the second applicant) published a study by a historian, Mr Ungvary (the … Continue reading Ungvary And/Et Irodalom Kft v Hungary: ECHR 3 Dec 2013
The claimant appealed against reduction of the sum awarded on his claim for a quantum meruit after helping to facilitate a very substantial business deal for the defendants. Held: The correct approach to the amount to be paid by way of a quantum meruit where there is no valid and subsisting contract between the parties, … Continue reading Benedetti v Sawiris and Others: SC 17 Jul 2013
The claimant suffered a condition which would lead to the development of vocal nodules unless she followed a program which would allow her to avoid raising her voice. She said that employer should not have placed her within a noisy environment. The employer appealed against a decision that she suffered a disability saying that she … Continue reading SCA Packaging Ltd v Boyle (Northern Ireland): HL 1 Jul 2009
Court to seek and Apply Parliamentary Intention The appellant challenged the practice of permitting cell nuclear replacement (CNR), saying it was either outside the scope of the Act, or was for a purpose which could not be licensed under the Act. Held: The challenge failed. The court was to give effect to the intentions of … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for Health ex parte Quintavalle (on behalf of Pro-Life Alliance): HL 13 Mar 2003
Slander damages reduced for conduct Claim in slander. The defendant was said, at a church meeting to have accused the client of threatening to slit her throat. The defendant argued that the audience of 80 was not large enough. Held: ‘the authorities demonstrate that it is the quality of the publishees not their quantity that … Continue reading Dhir v Saddler: QBD 6 Dec 2017
In the course of ancillary relief proceedings in a divorce, questions arose regarding company assets owned by the husband. The court was asked as to the power of the court to order the transfer of assets owned entirely in the company’s names. The judge had made such an order, finding evidence that the companies had … Continue reading Prest v Petrodel Resources Ltd and Others: SC 12 Jun 2013
The respondent had made an order under the Regulations restricting all persons from dealing with the the claimant bank. The bank applied to have the order set aside. Though the defendant originally believed that the Iranian government owned 80% of the shares, the figure was 20% and soon to be reduced to 15%. It said … Continue reading Bank Mellat v HM Treasury: QBD 11 Jun 2010
The appellants were teachers in Christian schools who said that the blanket ban on corporal punishment interfered with their religious freedom. They saw moderate physical discipline as an essential part of educating children in a Christian manner. Held: The appeal was dismissed. For Article 9 to be engaged (aside from certain other threshold conditions) the … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for Education and Employment and others ex parte Williamson and others: HL 24 Feb 2005
Fairness of SIAC procedures Each defendant was to be deported for fear of involvement in terrorist activities, but feared that if returned to their home countries, they would be tortured. The respondent had obtained re-assurances from the destination governments that this would not happen. Held: Though in each case, SIAC had considered special materials, the … Continue reading RB (Algeria) and Another v Secretary of State for the Home Department; OO (Jordan) v Same; MT (Algeria) v Same: HL 18 Feb 2009
Child’s Wish for post-mortem cryonic Preservation JS, a child of 14, anticipating her death from cancer expressed the desire that her body should receive cryonic preservation in the hope that one day a treatment might be available to allow her to be revived, and proceedings were issued. Her parents were divorced, and they differed as … Continue reading Re JS (Disposal of Body): FD 10 Nov 2016
Complex financial instruments insured the indebtedness of Lehman Brothers. On that company’s insolvency a claim was made. It was said that provisions in the documents offended the rule against the anti-deprivation rule. The courts below had upheld the agreements. Held: The appeal failed. The agreement was valid and enforceable. The anti-deprivation rule as such was … Continue reading Belmont Park Investments Pty Ltd v BNY Corporate Trustee Services Ltd and Another: SC 27 Jul 2011
The claimants sought damages after the loss of business when the defendants’ premises were the source of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The organism had escaped from their premises via a broken drain. Held: Much of the damage claimed was for economic loss. The number of people who would be brought within the … Continue reading D Pride and Partners (A Firm) and Others v Institute for Animal Health and Others: QBD 31 Mar 2009
Regular school attendance is following the rules The respondent had taken his child out of school during term time to go on holiday. The child otherwise had an excellent attendance record. The Council having failed on appeal to the Administrative Court, it appealed saying that the word ‘regularly’ did not refer only to the the … Continue reading Isle of Wight Council v Platt: SC 6 Apr 2017
Commercial Sense Used to Interpret Contract The Court was asked as to the role of commercial good sense in the construction of a term in a contract which was open to alternative interpretations. Held: The appeal succeeded. In such a case the court should adopt the more, rather than the less, commercial construction, applying the … Continue reading Rainy Sky Sa and Others v Kookmin Bank: SC 2 Nov 2011
There are no degrees of nullity The plaintiffs had owned mining property in Egypt. Their interests were damaged and or sequestrated and they sought compensation from the Respondent Commission. The plaintiffs brought an action for the declaration rejecting their claims was a nullity. The Commission replied that the courts were precluded from considering the question … Continue reading Anisminic Ltd v Foreign Compensation Commission: HL 17 Dec 1968
The deceased army officer serving in Germany died while cycling when hit by a driver insured under German law. His widow, the claimant, being domiciled in England brought her action here, claiming for bereavement and loss of dependency. The Court was asked whether German or UK law applied to the assessment of the damages. Held: … Continue reading Cox v Ergo Versicherung Ag: SC 2 Apr 2014
The claimant challenged as incompatible with EU law, the Regulations which restricted the entitlement to state pension credit to those entitled to reside in the UK. Held: The appeal failed (Majority). The conditions imposed by the Regulations were indirectly discriminatory. There was not an exact correspondence between the advantaged and disadvantaged groups and the protected … Continue reading Patmalniece v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: SC 16 Mar 2011
The claimant sought a possession order to recover land from trespassers. The court considered whether a possession order was available where not all the land was occupied, and it was feared that the occupiers might simply move onto a different part. Held: The defendants’ appeal was allowed. The court may grant an injunction to prevent … Continue reading Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs v Meier and Others: SC 1 Dec 2009
The applicant had been given temporary accomodation under the Act. He sought to enforce the obligation on the respondent to house him permanently by an action in the county court. The authority said the action should have been by judicial review. Held: Where the action impugned the authority’s performance of its statutory duties as a … Continue reading Cocks v Thanet District Council: HL 25 Nov 1981
The House gave guidance how it would treat an invitation to depart from a previous decision of the House. Such a course was possible, but the direction was not an ‘open sesame’ for a differently constituted committee to prefer their views to those of the committee which determined the decision unanimously or by a majority. … Continue reading Practice Statement (Judicial Precedent): HL 1966
The plaintiff had applied for disclosure of assets under the Rules of the Supreme Court in support of a Mareva freezing order. The rules were held not to provide any such power: disclosure of assets could not be obtained as part of discovery as the documents concerned did not relate ‘to matters in question in … Continue reading A J Bekhor and Co Ltd v Bilton: CA 6 Feb 1981
The claimant wished to claim damages after suffering serious injury as a child having been vaccinated with a drug manufactured by a defendant (APMSD). The defendant had relied on a defence saying that the limitation period under the Directive was 10 years. The claimant had then to choose another company (APSA) as defendant. On a … Continue reading O’Byrne v Aventis Pasteur Sa: SC 26 May 2010
C operated a motor racing circuit as tenant. The neighbour L objected that the noise emitted by the operations were a nuisance. C replied that the fact of his having planning consent meant that it was not a nuisance. Held: The neighbour’s appeal succeeded. C, but not the freeholder were liable in nuisance. In the … Continue reading Coventry and Others v Lawrence and Another: SC 26 Feb 2014
(Hong Kong) The relationship between banker and customer is principally a contractual one between debtor and creditor. As between the banker and his customer, the risk of loss through forgery of the customer’s signature falls on the banker unless negligence or other disentitling conduct of the customer precludes the customer’s claim. No wider duty should … Continue reading Tai Hing Ltd v Liu Chong Hing Bank: PC 1985
Survivor of unmarried partner entitled to pension The claimant appealed against the rejection of her claim to the survivor’s pension after the death of her longstanding partner, even though they had not been married. The rules said that she had to have been nominated by her partner, but he had not done this. Held: Her … Continue reading Brewster, Re Application for Judicial Review (Northern Ireland): SC 8 Feb 2017
The appellant claimed that the requirement imposed on him to retire from his law firm partnership on attaining 65 was an unlawful discrimination on the grounds of age. Held: The matter was remitted to the Employment tribunal to see whether the fixing of the mandatory retirment age at 65 was a proportionate means of achieving … Continue reading Seldon v Clarkson Wright and Jakes: SC 25 Apr 2012
Police detention of Immigrants to follow rules ECJ (Judgment) Reference for a preliminary ruling – Criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection – Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 (Dublin III) – Article 28(2) – Detention for the purpose of transfer – Article 2(n) – Significant risk of … Continue reading Policie CR, Krajske reditelstvi policie Usteckeho kraje, odbor cizinecke policie v Al Chodor and Others: ECJ 15 Mar 2017
An ex parte order was sought by the plaintiff to restrain the defendant dispersing his assets. Held: The court granted the ad personam order requested making use of the jurisdiction given to it by the 1925 Act: ‘A mandamus or an injunction may be granted or a receiver appointed by an interlocutory order of the … Continue reading Mareva Compania Naviera SA v International Bulkcarriers SA: CA 1 Feb 1975
Long delayed ancillary relief application proceeds The parties had divorced some 22 years before, but no ancillary relief order had been made to satisfy the application outlined in the petition. The parties when together had lived in relative poverty, but H had subsequently become wealthy. W applied for lump sum provision. W appealed against order … Continue reading Wyatt v Vince: SC 11 Mar 2015
The claimant beneficiary in the estate sought damages against solicitors who had acted for the claimant’s brother, the administrator, saying they had allowed him to take control of the assets in the estate. The will provided that property was to be transferred only if the claimant’s brother paid all the Inheritance Tax. It was transferred … Continue reading Roberts v Gill and Co Solicitors and Others: SC 19 May 2010
(Belize) The applicant complained at his removal as a justice of the Supreme Court, stating it was unconstitutional. The complaint had been decided by a member of the Bar Council which had also recommended his removal, and he said it had been decided in private. Held: It was not suggested that the chairman had any … Continue reading Meerabux v The Attorney General of Belize: PC 23 Mar 2005
Costs were to be sought against third parties to the action. A pupil had taken court action against the school seeking damages, alleging that it had failed to protect him from bullying. His action was discontinued. The school now sought its costs (andpound;250,000) from his parents, who had funded their son’s claim. The school sought … Continue reading Thomson v Berkhamsted Collegiate School: QBD 2 Oct 2009
Notice of dismissal begins when received by worker The court was asked: ‘If an employee is dismissed on written notice posted to his home address, when does the notice period begin to run? Is it when the letter would have been delivered in the ordinary course of post? Or when it was in fact delivered … Continue reading Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v Haywood: SC 25 Apr 2018
Alcoholic drinks had been seized by the respondents pending further enquiries with a view to a possible forfeiture, then held and returned but only under court order. The company had complained that the detention of the goods was unlawful. The Revenue appealed against an order upholding that complaint. Held: The appeal succeeded. Section 139 allowed … Continue reading Eastenders Cash and Carry Plc and Others, Regina (on The Application of) v Revenue and Customs: SC 11 Jun 2014
The Court considered linked issues as to the treatment of ‘qualifying children’ and their parents, under the statutory regime contained in Part 5A of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. Three appellants (KO, IT and NS) argued that when . .
This appeal raises a question about the interpretation of article 16 of the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974 (‘the Athens Convention’) and its application to the Scots law of limitation of . .
The Court was asked whether the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (‘the Commissioner’) owes a duty to her officers, in the conduct of proceedings against her based on their alleged misconduct, to take reasonable care to protect them from . .
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 . .
Certain investment trust companies (ITCs) sought refunds of VAT paid on the supply of investment management services. EU law however clarified that they were not due. Refunds were restricted by the Commissioners both as to the amounts and limitation . .
The appellants had overpaid under a mistake of law very substantial sums in VAT over several years. The excess had been repaid, but with simple interest and not compound interest, which the now claimed (together with other taxpayers amounting to 17 . .
Before proceedings, the plaintiff widow accepted the defendants’ offer to settle her and her infant son’s Fatal Accidents Acts claim ‘subject to the approval of the court’. A summons was then issued for the court to approve that settlement. The . .
A design for sunglasses was challenged for prior publication. However the law in England differed from that apparently imposed from Europe as to the existence of a 12 month period of grace before applying for registration.
Held: Instruments . .
The parties had engaged in a bitter 95 day trial in which allegations of forgery, theft, false accounting, blackmail and arson. A company owning patents and other rights had become insolvent, and the real concern was the destination and ownership of . .
Several companies within a group paid VAT. Later the basis of charge to output VAT was revised, and a reclaim became due, but the VAT group had been dissolved. Could the appellant, former lead within the group now make the reclaim.
Held: . .
The court considered a challenge to the rules governing ‘out of country’ appeals against immigration decisions. They had in each case convictions leading to prison terms for serious drugs related offences.
Held: The appeals were allowed, and . .
The two prisoners, serving life sentences for murder, had had their appeals rejected. They continued to protest innocence, and sought to bring their campaigns to public attention through the press, having oral interviews with journalists without . .
References: [1986] 2 Lloyds Rep 221 Coram: Sir Roger Ormrod Ratio: The defendants, believing that they had no assets, deliberately allowed an interlocutory judgment for damages to be assessed to be entered against them by default, and only after damages had been assessed and final judgment entered, realising that they had given security, applied initially … Continue reading Alpine Bulk Transport Co Inc v Saudi Eagle Shipping Co Inc The Saudi Eagle”: CA 1986″
A trustee has a duty to exploit any available opportunity for the trust. ‘Rules of equity have to be applied to such a great diversity of circumstances that they can be stated only in the most general terms and applied with particular attention to . .
References: [2006] NSWCA 41, (2006) 14 BPR 26 639 Links: Austlii Coram: Spigelman CJ Handley JA Basten JA Ratio: Austlii (Supreme Court of New South Wales – Court of Appeal) CONTRACTS – Unjust contracts – Determination that a contract ‘unjust’ – Appellate review – Nature of decision appealed from – Conclusion that ‘unjust’ – Whether … Continue reading Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Khoshaba; 20 Mar 2006
References: [1976] 1 WLR 989, [1976] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 621, [1976] 3 All ER 570 Coram: Lord Wilberforce Ratio:In construing a contract, three principles can be found. The contextual scene is always relevant. Secondly, what is admissible as a matter of the rules of evidence under this heading is what is arguably relevant, but admissibility … Continue reading Reardon Smith Line Ltd v Yngvar Hansen-Tangen (The ‘Diana Prosperity’): HL 1976
References: [2002] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 293, [2002] EWCA Civ 509, [2002] 2 All ER (Comm) 97 Links: Bailii Coram: Mance LJ, Thorpe LJ, Neuberger J Where the correctness of a finding of primary fact or of inference is in issue (on appeal), it cannot be a matter of simple discretion how an appellate court approaches … Continue reading Todd v Adams and Chope (Trading as Trelawney Fishing Co) (The ‘Margaretha Maria’): CA 2002
References: [1986] AC 965, [1986] 2 WLR 1051, [1986] 2 All ER 409 Coram: Lord Goff of Chieveley A claim had been made against charterers by the ship owners, and in turn by the charterers against their sub-charterers. Notice of motion were issued after arbitration awards were not accepted. When heard, costs awards were made, … Continue reading Aiden Shipping Co Ltd v Interbulk Ltd (The ‘Vimeira’): HL 1986
References: [1990] 2 Lloyds Rep 210 Coram: McCowan LJ and Sir John Megaw, Lloyd LJ dissenting Various defendants were served out of the jurisdiction but with the wrong copies of the writs, receiving a copy addressed to another defendant. One defendant received no writ at all, but only a form of acknowledgment of service. Held: … Continue reading Golden Ocean Assurance Ltd v Martin (‘The Goldean Mariner’): CA 1990
References: [1979] USSC 27 Links: Worldlii Coram: Marshall J Ratio United States Supreme Court – Under the Illinois Election Code, new political parties and independent candidates must obtain the signatures of 25,000 qualified voters in order to appear on the ballot in statewide elections. However, the minimum number of signatures required in elections for offices … Continue reading Illinois State Board Of Elections v Socialist Workers Party Et Al; 22 Feb 1979
References: Times 25-Nov-1998, [1998] EWCA Civ 1804 Links: Bailii A Master of the Supreme Court has power himself to hold a trial of certain issues subject to the consent of the parties and the general rules of court. Such a decision would be appealable to the Court of Appeal, and not to a judge in … Continue reading Pavey v Ministry of Defence: CA 25 Nov 1998
References: [1976] 1 WLR 989, [1976] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 621, [1976] 3 All ER 570 Coram: Lord Wilberforce In construing a contract, three principles can be found. The contextual scene is always relevant. Secondly, what is admissible as a matter of the rules of evidence under this heading is what is arguably relevant, but admissibility … Continue reading Reardon Smith Line Ltd v Yngvar Hansen-Tangen (The Diana Prosperity”): HL 1976″
References: [2004] UKHL 27, [2004] 3 WLR 58, Times 21-Jun-04, [2004] 2 AC 369, [2004] 3 All ER 821, [2004] INLR 349 Links: House of Lords, Bailii Coram: Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Steyn, Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe, Baroness Hale of Richmond, Lord Carswell The claimant resisted removal after failure of his claim for asylum, … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for the Home Department ex parte Razgar etc: HL 17 Jun 2004
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