Syrett v Carr and Neave: 1990

The plaintiff sought damages for a negligent survey.
Held: On the particular facts, it was reasonable for the plaintiffs not to sell but to repair the property and seek the cost of such repairs.

Citations:

[1990] 2 EGLR 161

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Watts and Co v Morrow CA 30-Jul-1991
The plaintiff had bought a house on the faith of the defendant’s report that there were only limited defects requiring repair. In fact the defects were much more extensive. The defendant surveyor appealed against an award of damages after his . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Damages

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.259567

Darryl Neudorf v Network Expressions: 1999

(Supreme Court of British Columbia) The court discussed the test for joint authorship after reviewing authorities in Canada, the US and England and said: ‘In the result I find that the test for joint authorship that should be applied to the facts in the instant case is as follows:
i) Did the plaintiff contribute significant original expression to the songs? If yes,
ii) Did each of the plaintiff and Ms McLachlan intend that their contributions be merged into a unitary whole? If yes,
iii) Did each of the plaintiff and Ms McLachlan intend the other to be a joint author of the song?’ and ‘the creation of the intent to co-author requirement in Childress v. Taylor happened despite the statutory definition of joint authorship . . . not because of it. The court looked beyond the language of the section and moved on to review policy considerations in the application of the section. In particular, the court could not accept that Congress intended to extend joint authorship to, for example, editors and researchers. It was for this reason that the court created the intent to co-author requirement.’

Judges:

Cohen J

Citations:

[1999] RPC 935

Jurisdiction:

Canada

Cited by:

Still Good Law – Hodgens v Beckingham CA 19-Feb-2003
The defendant appealed a finding of infringement in a music copyright work, ‘Young at Heart’, based on a claim of joint authorship. The claimant had delayed his claim for many years, but now sought only rights to future royalties.
Held: The . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Commonwealth, Intellectual Property

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.266723

Zielinski, Pradal, Gonzalez and Others v France: ECHR 8 Jun 2011

Citations:

34173/96, [1999] ECHR 108, 24846/94, 34165/96, [2011] ECHR 1257

Links:

Bailii, Bailii

Statutes:

European Convention on Human Rights

Jurisdiction:

Human Rights

Citing:

See Also – Zielinski v France ECHR 28-Oct-1999
Hudoc The applicants challenged a retrospective change in employment law under article 6(1).
Held: The court stated that while in principle the legislature is not precluded in civil matters from adopting . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Human Rights

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.263007

HM Revenue and Customs v Weald Leasing Ltd: ChD 16 Jan 2008

Judges:

Lindsay J

Citations:

[2008] EWHC 30 (Ch)

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Cited – Halifax plc etc v Commissioners of Customs and Excise ECJ 21-Feb-2006
ECJ Sixth VAT Directive – Article 2(1), Article 4(1) and (2), Article 5(1) and Article 6(1) – Economic activity – Supplies of goods – Supplies of services – Abusive practice – Transactions designed solely to . .
Appeal from – Weald Leasing Ltd v Revenue and Customs VDT 6-Feb-2007
VDT VAT – AVOIDANCE – Abuse of rights – Appellant associate of exempt trader purchasing assets to lease to separate company to lease on to exempt trader – Associate outside VAT group – Associate credited with . .

Cited by:

Reference from – Weald Leasing (Taxation) ECJ 26-Oct-2010
ECJ Opinion – Value added tax (VAT) – Sixth Council Directive 77/388/EEC – Concept of ‘abusive practice’ and ‘normal commercial operations’ – Transaction designed solely to obtain a tax advantage – Leasing and . .
Reference from – HM Revenue and Customs v Weald Leasing (Taxation) ECJ 2-Dec-2010
ECJ Sixth VAT Directive – Concept of ‘abusive practice’ – Leasing transactions effected by a group of undertakings to spread the payment of non-deductible VAT . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

VAT, European

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.263645

Universal Permanent Building Society v Cooke: CA 1951

The mortgagor agreed to buy a shop with living accommodation above. She let the flat to her sister before completion, and by the date of the mortgage, the sister was in possession. After default, the lender sought possession under the mortgage, but was only granted possession subject to the tenancy. The mortgage was granted the day after the completion of the purchase.
Held: With no evidence to the contrary, there was an interval between the conveyance and the mortgage during which time the tenant’s tenancy by estoppel became a tenancy at law with priority over the mortgage. The estoppel was fed by the acquisition of the legal estate.

Judges:

Jenkins LJ, Lord Evershed MR

Citations:

[1952] Ch 95, [1951] 2 All ER 893, [1951] 2 TLR 962

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Distinguished – Coventry Permanent Economic Building Society v Jones ChD 1951
The contracting purchaser of a property agreed, prior to completion, to let the ground floor of the property to two tenants. She subsequently borrowed a sum of money from the plaintiffs to enable her to complete the purchase. On completion, she . .

Cited by:

Cited – Scott v Southern Pacific Mortgages Ltd and Others SC 22-Oct-2014
The appellant challenged a sale and rent back transaction. He said that the proposed purchaser had misrepresented the transaction to them. The Court was asked s whether the home owners had interests whose priority was protected by virtue of section . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Land, Estoppel, Landlord and Tenant

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.259705

Highton, Regina (on the Application of) v Her Majesty’s Youth Offender Institute Lancaster Farms and Another: Admn 17 Apr 2007

Challenge to calculation of servable sentence term.

Judges:

Dobbs J

Citations:

[2007] EWHC 1085 (Admin)

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Criminal Justice Act 2003 181 244, Criminal Justice Act 1991, Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Commencement No 8 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2005 14

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Noone, Regina (on the Application of) v HMP Drake Hall and Another Admn 31-Jan-2008
The court considered the complications created when the schemes for providing early release of short term prisoners had not been implemented, but the new Act impacted in the previous arrangements anyway as regards those sentenced to consecutive . .
Cited – Noone, Regina (on The Application of) v Governor of HMP Drake Hall and Another SC 30-Jun-2010
The prisoner had been sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment, one for less, and one for more than 12 months. She disputed the date on which she should be released to home detention under curfew under the Guidance issued by the Secretary of . .
Cited – Round and Dunn v Regina CACD 16-Dec-2009
Non-consolidation of sentence to debar home curfew
Each defendant had been sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment under the 1991 and 2003 Acts. One was above and one below twelve months. They complained that the result of trying to reconcile the statutory provisions was that they had . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Criminal Sentencing, Prisons

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.252398

Regina v Ring: 1892

The defendant was accused of a mugging offence on the Metropolitan Railway.

Citations:

(1892) 17 Cox Crim Cas 491

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Haughton v Smith, On Appeal From Regina v Smith (Roger) HL 21-Nov-1973
The defendant appealed against his conviction for attempting to handle stolen goods. They were to be delivered to him in a van, but the meat was intercepted and recovered by the police. The defendant argued that he should not be convicted of . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Crime

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.254555

Rex v Willace: 1797

The commencement of a prosecution was held to be ‘the information and proceeding before the magistrate’.

Citations:

(1797) 1 East PC 186

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Rockall v Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Admn 22-Mar-2007
The defendant appealed against his conviction under the Act, saying that the proceedings had been issued late. The issue was the calculation of the date when proceedings were begun.
Held: There was no justification for reading the wording of . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Criminal Practice, Magistrates

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.258450

Sharma and others v The Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago: PC 20 Jun 2007

(Trinidad and Tobago) The issue in this appeal is whether the appellants are entitled to remuneration as members of the House of Representatives on a delay in the House sitting after an election.

Judges:

Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Hope of Craighead, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Lord Carswell

Citations:

[2007] UKPC 41, [2007] 1 WLR 780

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Corner House Research and Campaign Against Arms Trade, Regina (on the Application of) v Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Another Admn 10-Apr-2008
The defendant had had responsibility to investigate and if necessary prosecute a company suspected of serious offences of bribery and corruption in the conduct of contract negotiations. The investigation had been stopped, alledgedly at the . .
Cited – JJ Management Consulting Llp and Others v Revenue and Customs CA 22-Jun-2020
HMRC has power to conduct informal investigation
The taxpayer, resident here, but with substantial oversea business interests, challenged the conduct of an informal investigation of his businesses under the 2005 Act, saying that HMRC, as a creature of statute, are only permitted to do that which . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Constitutional

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.253514

Regina v Lloyd (BP): CACD 28 Feb 2007

The defendant appealed his sentence for the rape of a child under 13.
Held: In setting the sentence, the judge had referred to consultation guidelines issued by the Sentencing Guidelines Council. The applicable guide case was Millberry until and unless the consultation was concluded and new guidance given. The sentence was reduced to the starting point, eight years.

Judges:

Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers LCJ, hedley J, Pitchers J

Citations:

Times 26-Mar-2007

Statutes:

Sexual Offences Act 2003 5

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Cited – Millberry, Morganian, Lackenby v Regina CACD 9-Dec-2002
The Court gave detailed guidelines on sentencing for offences of rape, following a report from the sentencing advisory panel.
Held: The court outlined the base sentences for single and multiple offences of rape, listing aggravating and . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Criminal Sentencing

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.253205

Blum and others v Director of Public Prosecutions and others: Admn 20 Dec 2006

Judges:

Waller LJ and Lloyd Jones

Citations:

[2006] EWHC 3209 (Admin), [2007] ACD 40, [2007] UKHRR 233

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Followed – Ziliberberg v Moldova ECHR 1-Feb-2005
The court observed that: ‘the right to freedom of assembly is a fundamental right in a democratic society and, like the right to freedom of expression, is one of the foundations of such a society.’ it is possible to distinguish between interferences . .

Cited by:

Cited – Austin and Another v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis CA 15-Oct-2007
The claimants appealed dismissal of their claims for false imprisonment and unlawful detention by the respondent in his policing of a demonstration. They had been held within a police cordon in the streets for several hours to prevent the spread of . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Crime, Human Rights

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.249157

Trepac v County Court In Trencin Slovak Republic: Admn 22 Nov 2006

The court heard an application for an extradition order from the Slovak Republic, a category 1 territory which had imposed a single sentence in respect of two offences which appeared to have been committed on the same day: attempted murder and carrying a concealed weapon.
Held: An argument that the European arrest warrant did not comply with the requirements of section 2(6)(e) because it did not contain an apportionment of the total sentence to each of the offences was rejected. The form of the warrant did not require the specification of a separate sentence for each separate offence.

Judges:

Keene J

Citations:

[2006] EWHC 3346 (Admin)

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Pilecki v Circuit Court of Legnica, Poland HL 6-Feb-2008
The defendant appealed against an extradition order made under a European Arrest Warrant to ensure that he served a sentence of imprisonment in Poland. The warrant was in respect of several sentences, some of which were for more and some for less . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Extradition

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.249153

Havell, Regina v: CACD 10 Mar 2006

The defendants appealed their sentences after findings of guilt for blackmail, arising from their activities as wheel clampers. The judge said that blackmail is an ugly, serious offence. Both of the appellants knew full well what they were doing. He described how they dealt with motorists in an arrogant, bullying and abhorrent manner.
Held: The sentence of four years imprisonment was, on the facts too long, and three years was substituted.

Judges:

Waller LJ, Butterfield LJ, Underhill LJ

Citations:

[2006] EWCA Crim 735

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Theft Act 1968

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Criminal Sentencing

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.246051

Molton Builders Ltd v City of Westminster London Borough Council: CA 1975

Lord Denning MR said: ‘The doctrine of derogation from grant is usually applied to sales or leases of land, but it is of wider application. It is a general principle of law that, if a man agrees to confer a particular benefit on another, he must not do anything which substantially deprives the other of the employment of that benefit: because that would be to take away with one hand what is given with the other.’

Judges:

Lord Denning MR

Citations:

[1975] 30 P and CR 186

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Stone and Another (T/A Tyre 20) v Fleet Mobile Tyres Ltd CA 31-Aug-2006
The defendants appealed an injunction which prevented them soliciting business from any customer of the claimant for one year, granted pursuant to a restrictive covenant contained in a franchise agreement.
Held: The injunction was discharged. . .
Cited – Rees and Another v Windsor-Clive and Others CA 1-Jul-2020
Reservation Derogation construed normally
Construction of tenancy agreement – correct approach to reservations made in favour of the landlord. The landlord required access to the tenanted farm to allow survey work anticipating development of his adjoining land. The tenant now appealed . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Contract, Landlord and Tenant

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.244794

Johnston and Sons Ltd v Holland: CA 1988

The test for whether there had been a derogation from a grant was whether there had been a substantial deprivation of benefit, rather than a total deprivation. The principle of non-derogation from grant is ‘not based on some ancient technicality of real property. As Younger LJ observed in Harmer v Jumbil (Nigeria) Tin Areas Ltd [1921] Ch 200 at pp 225, it is a principle which merely embodies in a legal maxim a rule of common honesty. It was imposed in the interest of fair dealing.’

Judges:

Nicholls LJ

Citations:

[1988] 1 EGLR 264

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Stone and Another (T/A Tyre 20) v Fleet Mobile Tyres Ltd CA 31-Aug-2006
The defendants appealed an injunction which prevented them soliciting business from any customer of the claimant for one year, granted pursuant to a restrictive covenant contained in a franchise agreement.
Held: The injunction was discharged. . .
Cited – Rees and Another v Windsor-Clive and Others CA 1-Jul-2020
Reservation Derogation construed normally
Construction of tenancy agreement – correct approach to reservations made in favour of the landlord. The landlord required access to the tenanted farm to allow survey work anticipating development of his adjoining land. The tenant now appealed . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Contract, Landlord and Tenant

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.244795

Brigden v American Express Bank Ltd: 2000

A clause providing that the employer could dismiss an employee in the first two years of employment without implementing the disciplinary procedure was not void under the 1977 Act. Section 3 extended to contracts of employment and although the meaning was ‘artificial’, an employee dealt ‘as a consumer’ with his employer. However the claim failed as the clause in question did not come within clause 3 (2) of the 1977 Act, not being a contract term excluding or restricting liability of the employer in respect of breach of contract.

Judges:

Morland J

Citations:

[2000] IRLR 94

Statutes:

Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 3

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Cited – Chapman v Aberdeen Construction Group 1991
It having been conceded that contracts of service fell within section 15 of the 1977 Act, the court found that the question whether the contract was a consumer contract depended on the circumstances. Though the employee pursuer was to be regarded as . .

Cited by:

Cited – Commerzbank Ag v Keen CA 17-Nov-2006
The bank had sought summary dismissal of a claim for non-payment of bonuses to the claimant a former employee, and now appealed refusal of its request for summary dismissal, saying that the claim had no prospect of success. The claimant said that . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Employment, Contract

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.246221

Dugdale v Lovering: 1875

The court adopted the position proposed by Mr Cave, for the Plaintiff: ‘It is a general principle of law when an act is done by one person at the request of another which act is not in itself manifestly tortious to the knowledge of the person doing it, and such act turns out to be injurious to the rights of a third party, the person doing it is entitled to an indemnity from him who requested that it should be done’.

Citations:

[1875] LR 10 CP 196

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Approved – Corporation of Sheffield v Barclay and Others HL 3-Jul-1905
Lord Davey said: ‘I think that the appellants [Sheffield Corporation] have a statutory duty to register all valid transfers, and on the demand of the transferee to issue to him a fresh certificate of title to the stock comprised therein. But, of . .
Cited – Cadbury Schweppes Plc and Another v Halifax Share Dealing Ltd and Another ChD 23-May-2006
Fraudsters had successfully contrived to sell shares of others, by re-registering the shares to new addresses and requesting new certificates. The question was which of the company, the company registrars and the stockbrokers should bear the loss. . .
Cited – Stanley Yeung Kai Yung and another v Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation PC 1980
The shareholder had had his share certificates stolen. The thief lodged forged transfers with stockbrokers, who in good faith sent the share certificates and transfer deeds to the bank for registration and transfer, which was done. The transferee . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Torts – Other

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.242169

England v Inglis: 1920

An interest in the avoidance of an obligation is as much a material interest as an interest in making a gain. Salter J said: ‘As was pointed out by Lindley LJ in Nutton v Wilson [(1889) 22 QBD 744, 748] the object of sections of this kind is ‘to prevent the conflict between interest and duty that might otherwise inevitably arise.’ An ‘interest’ within the meaning of the section must, I agree, be something more than a sentimental interest, such as arises from the natural love and affection of a man for his son; it must be a pecuniary or, at least, a material interest; but I do not see on what principle it must necessarily be a pecuniary advantage, because, if a public man is likely to suffer pecuniary loss by his interest in any particular contract, his judgment is as likely to be deflected as where he is obtaining a pecuniary advantage from it.’

Judges:

Salter J, Roche J

Citations:

[1920] 2 KB 636

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Wheatley and Another v The Commissioner of Police of the British Virgin Islands PC 4-May-2006
(The British Virgin Islands) The defendants appealed against convictions for theft and misconduct. Being civil servants they had entered in to contract with companies in which they had interests. . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Administrative

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.241543

Re Sam Weller and Sons Ltd: 1990

Citations:

[1990] Ch 682

Statutes:

Companies Act 1985 459

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Hill (As Trustee In Bankruptcy of Nurkowski) v Spread Trustee Company Ltd and Another CA 12-May-2006
The defendants sought relief for transactions entered into at an undervalue. The bankrupt had entered into charges and an assignment of a loan account in their favour before his bankruptcy, and the trustee had obtained an order for them to be set . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Company

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.244175

O’Brien Homes Limited v Lane: 5 Feb 2004

The court at first instance had considered what to award by way of damages for breach of a restrictive covenant and set a sum of pounds 150,000 out of an anticipated profit of pounds 280,000.
Held: The calculation of the gross profit might be challenged, but not to such an extent as to suggest that the award was incorrect.

Judges:

David Clarke J

Citations:

[2004] EWHC 303 (QB)

Links:

Bailii

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Small v Oliver and Saunders (Developments) Ltd ChD 25-May-2006
The claimant said his property had the benefit of covenants in a building scheme so as to allow him to object to the building of an additional house on a neighbouring plot in breach of a covenant to build only one house on the plot. Most but not all . .
Cited – Harris v Williams-Wynne ChD 11-Feb-2005
The parties agreed in sale agreement for a plot of land that the buyer would not erect any additional building. He did so, and when he came to try to sell it the original vendor objected. The purchaser’s solicitors registered the agreement for sale. . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Damages, Land

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.242396

Derby and Co Ltd v Weldon: CA 2 Jan 1989

The plaintiff sought damages for breach of contract, for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and deceit and conspiracy. It sought a world-wide injunction.
Held: A freezing order (Mareva injunction) can be made in respect of assets which were outside the jurisdiction. To meet the court’s concerns about the risk of oppression to the defendant arising from the commencement of proceedings abroad, the plaintiffs offered undertakings including not to seek to enforce the WFO abroad without the permission of the court.
Nicholls LJ considered the circumstances in which a court might give its permission to enforce an order abroad: ‘In the present case the plaintiffs propose that this point should be dealt with by the plaintiffs giving to the English court an undertaking in terms which will preclude them from making any application to a foreign court to enforce the order without first obtaining leave from the English court. This seems to me to be a convenient course. If this undertaking is accepted, and an order is made, it would then be for the judge of the English court to whom any application for such leave might be made to consider, amongst other matters, whether the enforcement of the order in the country or countries for which leave is sought will, under the law of that country, result in the order having a substantially similar effect there to a Mareva restraint order in this country, as distinct from the order having there a more far-reaching effect (such as the assets in the country being attached as a form of security for the plaintiffs’ claims, which is not the object of a Mareva restraint order). On any application for such leave, which normally would be inter partes, the judge can be expected to have before him what we do not have, namely, evidence of the law and practice in the country or countries in which the order is sought to be enforced. The undertaking, I add, is being offered by all the plaintiffs, which include amongst their number English companies whose substance has not been questioned. So the undertaking is a worthwhile one.’
Parker LJ said: ‘There are in essence only three issues: (i) has the plaintiff a good arguable case; (ii) has the plaintiff satisfied the Court that there are assets within and, where an extraterritorial order is sought, without the jurisdiction; and (iii) is there a real risk of dissipation or secretion of assets so as to render any judgment which the plaintiff may obtain nugatory. Such matters should be decided on comparatively brief evidence.’

Judges:

Nicholls LJ, Parker LJ

Citations:

[1990] Ch 48, [1989] 2 WLR 276, (1989) 133 SJ 83, [1989] 1 All ER 469, [1989] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 122

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Cited – Ashtiani v Kashi CA 1986
On the grant of a Mareva injunction, the defendant had disclosed assets outside the jurisdiction in bank accounts in Europe. The plaintiff then obtained injunctions relating to those assets. The defendant obtained the discharge of those orders on . .
Cited – Republic of Haiti v Duvalier CA 1989
The defendant had fled from Haiti with a large part of that country’s assets while in power. Proceedings were pending in France which gave no jurisdiction to grant a worldwide freezing or disclosure order. He had used a firm of English solicitors as . .
See Also – Derby and Co v Weldon CA 2-Aug-1988
The court has a power to make a pre-judgment worldwide asset freezing order (a mareva injunction) on satisfaction of the following conditions: 1. That the defendant can be protected against too many and oppressive actions, 2. That he can be . .
See Also – Derby v Weldon (No. 3) ChD 7-Nov-1988
The plaintiff alleged conspiracy to defraud in a sum in excess of andpound;25m. During the application for a freezing order the stance of the defendant had been one of ‘taciturnity’ and non-disclosure. But on the last day of the hearing it was said . .
See Also – Derby and Co v Weldon (No2) CA 2-Jan-1989
The plaintiff appealed against the refusal of a world-wide Mareva injunction.
Held: The appeal succeeded. Lord Donaldson of Lymington MR said: ‘We live in a time of rapidly growing commercial and financial sophistication and it behoves the . .

Cited by:

See Also – Derby and Co Ltd v Weldon (Nos 3 and 4) CA 1990
The plaintiff had obtained an asset freezing order against a defendant Panamanian Company, which now appealed saying that it was inappropriate to make such an order where the company had no assets in the jurisdiction.
Held: The appeal failed. . .
See Also – Derby and Co Ltd And Others v Weldon And Others (No 9) ChD 25-Jul-1990
The court considered the application of rules relating to the discovery of documents to material held on computer: ‘the database of a computer, so far as it contained information capable of being retrieved and converted into readable form, and . .
See Also – Derby and Co Ltd v Weldon (No 8) CA 27-Jul-1990
There had been a lengthy and contentious process of discovery. Certain documents with legal professional privilege had also been handed over inadvertently. The plaintiff sought their return and an order against them being used.
Held: The . .
See Also – Derby and Co Ltd And Others v Weldon And Others (No 10) CA 1991
A document had been disclosed by mistake.
Held: The inspecting parties must have realised that the documents had been disclosed by mistake. Fairness on the opposite party is the basis for the courts to hold for a waiver of legal privilege.
Cited – Dadourian Group Int Inc v Simms and others (No 1) CA 11-Apr-2006
The court was asked to consider how it should exercise its discretion to order a world-wide asset freezing order.
Held: It dismissed the appeal in this case, but took the opportunity to provide eight guidelines for the way in which the . .
Cited – Franses v Al Assad and others ChD 26-Oct-2007
The claimant had obtained a freezing order over the proceeds of sale of a property held by solicitors. The claimant was liquidator of a company, and an allegation of wrongful trading had been made against the sole director and defendant. The . .
See Also – Derby and Co v Weldon (No 6) CA 3-Jan-1990
The court considered its power to order transfer of assets from one jurisdiction (in this case Switzerland) to another in aid of a Mareva injunction.
Held: An order that assets be delivered or transferred to a receiver was a usual one.
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Litigation Practice

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.240388

Oxfordshire County Council v Oxford City Council and others: HL 24 May 2006

Application had been made to register as a town or village green an area of land which was largely a boggy marsh. The local authority resisted the application wanting to use the land instead for housing. It then rejected advice it received from a non-statutory enquiry, and sought a declaration from the court as to the status of the land.
Held: (Lord Scott and Baroness Hale dissenting in part) The claimant’s appeal succeeded in part. Registration would protect the rights sought. It is a necessary implication that land conclusively presumed to be a village green should be subject to the rights which the statute treated as creating a village green, namely the right to indulge in sports and pastimes. The only period upon which a claim could have relied was a period of upwards of 20 years continuing up to and ending with the date of the application. The word ‘becomes’ in section 13(b) means ‘becomes on registration’.
Baroness Hale said: ‘Unlike academic textbook writers and examiners, the courts do not decide legal questions in a vacuum. They know that, while hard cases may indeed make bad law, the particular facts of the case before them do cast a particularly bright light upon the legal issues and may throw up important questions which no rehearsal of the legal arguments in the abstract can ever do. Why, after all, do the best legal examination papers require candidates to answer problems based upon a precise, though imaginary set of facts? Because that is the way in which our case law has developed over the centuries. It is only legislators who make legal rulings in general and without reference to a specific set of facts.’ and ‘as an academic lawyer and examiner of students, I would see nothing wrong in essaying an answer to those questions, secure in the knowledge that if I turned out to have overlooked some important consideration which emerged in a later case, a court could and would ignore my views. As a judge, I see every objection to answering those questions. The fact that all parties and all courts have so far proceeded on the basis that we both can and should answer them does not to my mind outweigh the formidable objections to our doing so. ‘

Judges:

Lord Hoffmann, Lord Scott of Foscote, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe, Baroness Hale of Richmond

Citations:

Times 31-May-2006, [2006] UKHL 25, Gazette 08-Jun-2006, [2006] 2 WLR 1235, [2006] 2 AC 674, [2006] 22 EG 177, [2006] NPC 62, [2006] BLGR 713, [2006] 2 EGLR 95, [2006] 4 All ER 817

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Commons Registration Act 1965 13(b), Registration (New Land) Regulations 1969 (SI 1969/1843), Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 98

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Cited – Abbott v Weekly 1665
A custom that ‘the inhabitants of the vill, time out of memory, and had used to dance there at all times of the year at their free will, for their recreation’ was held to be a good custom, and the land was established as a common. . .
Cited – Fitch v Rawling 1795
A common was claimed at Steeple Bumpstead in Essex for ‘all kinds of lawful games, sports and pastimes . . at all seasonable times of the year.’ including cricket.
Held: Rights of common over land can include the right of local inhabitants to . .
Cited – Dyce v Lady James Hay HL 1852
A claim was made for a prescriptive right for all the Queen’s subjects ‘to go at all times upon the . . appellant’s property . . for the purpose of recreation’.
Held: Leonards LC said that the right claimed was one that ‘cannot be maintained’ . .
Cited – Mounsey v Ismay 20-Jan-1863
The inhabitants of Carlisle claimed a custom of holding horse races in May over land at Kingsmoor. The landowner’s counsel protested that the fields were arable land.
Held: Martin B: ‘It must be assumed that the custom has existed since the . .
Cited – Lancashire v Hunt 1894
A right of common was accepted over land to play cricket and other games on 160 acres of Stockbridge Common Down. The owner applied to prevent a local trainer from exercising his horses over the land. The trainer claimed that he had a customary . .
Cited – Forbes v Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England 1872
The purpose of inclosure under the Act was after all to extinguish manorial rights of common over the land inclosed, so that it could be at the free disposal of the owner, but the Act did not extinguish customary rights. . .
Cited – Virgo v Harford 11-Aug-1892
A right of common was successfully claimed to the right to play football, rounders and cricket on 65 acres of open land on a hill outside Walton-in-Gordano in Somerset. . .
Cited – Hammerton v Honey CA 1876
A claim was made for a local custom of common rights over Stockwell Green.
Held: The claim failed. The evidence did not show that use of the green was confined to inhabitants of Stockwell. Sir George Jessel MR said: ‘A custom is local Common . .
Cited – Edwards v Jenkins 1896
Application was made to register a customary right over land.
Held: The ‘locality rule’ applied. The inhabitants of the contiguous Surrey parishes of Beddington, Carshalton and Mitcham could not have a customary right of recreation over land . .
Cited – New Windsor Corporation v Mellor CA 1975
The respondent had obtained registration of land, Bachelors’ Acre, a grassed area of land in New Windsor, now used as a car park in the register of town and village greens under the Act as a customary green. It had been used for archery in mediaeval . .
Cited – In re Turnworth Down Dorset 1978
The only effect of non-registration of rights of common was to deprive the inhabitants of the benefit of the conclusive presumption furnished by section 10 of the Act and to require them to prove the existence of the rights in question. The land was . .
Cited – Regina v Suffolk County Council Ex Parte Steed and Steed Admn 1995
Judicial review was sought of the Council’s decision to refuse to register a park as a Town or Village Green.
Held: Carnwath J looked at the procedure to be followed by a council receiving an application for registration of commons right: ‘it . .
Cited – Regina v Suffolk County Council Ex Parte Steed and Another CA 2-Aug-1996
Customary rights over land were not defeated by failure to register as common. ‘As of right’ meant that the right must be exercised in the belief that it is a right enjoyed by the inhabitants of the village to the exclusion of all other people. ‘it . .
Cited – Regina v City of Sunderland ex parte Beresford HL 13-Nov-2003
Land had been used as a park for many years. The council land owner refused to register it as a common, saying that by maintaining the park it had indicated that the use was by consent and licence, and that prescription did not apply.
Held: . .
Cited – Beresford v The Government of the Commonwealth of Australia Admn 13-Oct-2005
The defendant appealed against an order for his extradition, saying that the request was defective in three respects, and that there was a bar to extradition in that, due to the passage of time since the alleged abuse is said to have taken place, it . .
Cited – Regina v Oxfordshire County Council and Another, Ex Parte Sunningwell Parish Council HL 25-Jun-1999
When setting out to establish that a piece of land has become a village green with rights of common, the tests are similar to those used in the law of prescription and adverse possession. Accordingly, there is no need to establish a belief in those . .
Disapproved in part – Cheltenham Builders Ltd , Regina (on the Application of) v South Gloucestershire District Council Admn 10-Nov-2003
A claim was made for the review of a decision of the Council to amend the Register of Town and Village Greens (TVG).
Held: The registration of the TVG was manifestly flawed and could not stand whether under section 14 or by way of judicial . .
Cited – Ministry of Defence v Wiltshire County Council 3-May-1995
The court considered that the time period of twenty years necessary to establish a right of common under the Act was the period ending with the date of the application.
Held: The court rectified the register under section 14 so as to remove . .
Cited – Regina v Norfolk County Council ex parte Perry Admn 19-Dec-1996
The period of twenty years required to establish a common under the Act was the period up to the date of the application. . .
At first instance – Oxfordshire County Council v Oxford City Council, Catherine Mary Robinson ChD 22-Jan-2004
Land had been registered in part as a common. The council appealed.
Held: The rights pre-existing the Act had not been lost. The presumption against retrospectively disapplying vested rights applied, and the application had properly been made. . .
Cited – Oxfordshire County Council v Oxford City Council and Another CA 24-Feb-2004
Application was made to register the ‘trap grounds’ as a village green.
Held: Carnwath LJ: ‘The 1965 Act created no new legal status, and no new rights or liabilities other than those resulting from the proper interpretation of section 10. . .
Cited – Fitch v Fitch 1798
The defendants had trampled the grass on a common which the owner had mowed, thrown the hay about and mixed some of it with gravel.
Held: The court considered the rights arising from land being declared to be a common: ‘The inhabitants have a . .
Cited – Regina (Laing Homes Ltd) v Buckinghamshire County Council Admn 8-Jul-2003
Land was used for ‘low-level agricultural activities’ such as taking a hay crop at the same time as it was being used by the inhabitants for sports and pastimes.
Held: The Act was not intended to prevent the owner using the land in a way which . .
Disapproved – Humphreys v Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Admn 18-Jun-2004
Acts of grazing and fertilising by the owner which would have contravened the 1857 and 1876 Acts if the land had been a village green at the time, prevented the land from satisfying the section 22 definition. . .
Cited – J A Pye (Oxford) Ltd v The United Kingdom ECHR 15-Nov-2005
The claimants had been the registered proprietors of land, they lost it through the adverse possession of former tenants holding over. They claimed that the law had dispossessed them of their lawful rights.
Held: The cumulative effect of the . .
Cited – Bell v Wardell 1740
The defendant argued in defence to a claim of trespass to land that there was a customary right for the inhabitants of the town to walk and to ride over a close of arable at all seasonable times.
Held: The claim was bad, because the defendant . .
Cited – Hall v Nottingham 1875
The parties sought to establish a customary right to enter on land, erect a maypole and to dance around it, and otherwise to enjoy the land for innocent recreation at any time.
Held: The claim was good. A custom might be understood as a local . .
Cited – Millechamp v Jordan 1740
A claim was made that land was subject to a customary right for recreation.
Held: The right would be limited to ‘legal and reasonable times of year’ so as not to allow the user to deprive the landowner of all profits of the land. . .
Cited – Lockwood v Wood 1844
A customary right over land becomes in effect a local law. . .
Cited – Delaney v Staples HL 15-Apr-1992
The claimant had been dismissed but had been given no payment in lieu of notice. She claimed to the Industrial Tribunal that this was an unlawful deduction from her wages and that therefore the Industrial Tribunal had jurisdiction.
Held: The . .
Cited – British Amusement Catering Trades Association v Westminster City Council HL 1988
The defendant operated an amusement arcade which provided video amusement games. The authority required a licence saying that it was an ‘exhibition of a moving image’. The Association appealed.
Held: A video amusement game was not within the . .
Cited – Mercer v Denne 1904
Fishermen claimed a customary right to spread their nets out to dry on land owned by the plaintiff at all seasonable fishing times.
Held: The activity was a good and valid custom, even though it was not a right for recreational purposes but . .
Cited – Hampshire County Council v Milburn HL 1991
The 1965 Act ‘was passed to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission so far as registration was concerned. The Act of 1965 did not confer any general public right of access over common land and did not set up the machinery for the . .
Cited – Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom v Department of Health and Social Security HL 2-Jan-1981
The court was asked whether nurses could properly involve themselves in a pregnancy termination procedure not known when the Act was passed, and in particular, whether a pregnancy was ‘terminated by a medical practitioner’, when it was carried out . .
Cited – Gouriet v Union of Post Office Workers HL 26-Jul-1977
The claimant sought an injunction to prevent the respondent Trades Union calling on its members to boycott mail to South Africa. The respondents challenged the ability of the court to make such an order.
Held: The wide wording of the statute . .
Cited – Victor Chandler International v Commissioners of Customs and Excise and another CA 8-Mar-2000
A teletext page can be a document for gaming licensing purposes. A bookmaker sought to advertise his services via a teletext page. His services were not licensed in this country, but the advertisements were. It was held that despite the . .
Cited – Abbott v Minister for Lands PC 30-Mar-1895
(From the Supreme Court for New South Wales) When considering what was a ‘vested right’ for the purposes of applying the presumption against retrospectivity of statutes affecting such rights, to convert a mere right existing in the members of the . .
Cited – Wilson v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; Wilson v First County Trust Ltd (No 2) HL 10-Jul-2003
The respondent appealed against a finding that the provision which made a loan agreement completely invalid for lack of compliance with the 1974 Act was itself invalid under the Human Rights Act since it deprived the respondent lender of its . .
Cited – The Home Office v Wainwright and Wainwright CA 20-Dec-2001
The claimants were awarded damages, following the way they were searched on seeking to enter prison on a visit. The Home Office appealed. They were asked to sign a consent form, but only after the search was nearly complete. They were told the . .
Mentioned – Mercer v Denne CA 1905
The court was asked whether the custom for fishermen to spread their nets to dry upon a privately owned beach, if otherwise established, could apply to land added by accretion to land over which it could be shown that the custom existed.
Cited – In Re S (Hospital Patient: Court’s Jurisdiction) CA 6-Mar-1995
The carer of S sought a declaration that S’s wife and son were not entitled to remove him to Norway.
Held: The court may try an issue as to the patient’s care as between rival claimants as carers. It should not tightly restrict list of carers . .
Cited – In re F (Mental Patient: Sterilisation) HL 4-May-1989
Where a patient lacks capacity, there is the power to provide him with whatever treatment or care is necessary in his own best interests. Medical treatment can be undertaken in an emergency even if, through a lack of capacity, no consent had been . .
Cited – Brocklebank v Thompson 1903
Parishioners sought to assert as a common right the right to walk across the local manor to the local church.
Held: Rights which have been long enjoyed, and in the absence of evidence that the enjoyment is recent only, are deemed to have been . .

Cited by:

Cited – Betterment Properties (Weymouth) Ltd v Dorset County Council ChD 2-Mar-2007
The company sought an order removing some 46 acres of land from designation as a village green. The claimant sought the amendment of the register. The parties disputed what evidence beyond that available to the committee making the decision should . .
Cited – Lewis, Regina (on The Application of) v Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and Another SC 3-Mar-2010
The claimants sought to have land belonging to the council registered as a village green to prevent it being developed. They said that it had for more than twenty years been used by the community for various sports. The council replied that it had . .
Cited – Glenn and Co (Essex) Ltd), Regina (on The Application of) v HM Revenue and Customs Admn 18-Jun-2010
The company objected to the search of its offices and removal by the defendant of its computers, the officers having entered without any warrant purporting to use powers under the 1989 Act.
Held: The request for judicial review failed. The . .
Cited – Paddico (267) Ltd v Kirklees Metropolitan Council and Others ChD 23-Jun-2011
The company sought the rectification of the register of village greens to remove an entry relating to its land, saying that the Council had not properly considered the need properly to identify the locality which was said to have enjoyed the rights . .
Cited – Adamson and Others v Paddico (267) Ltd SC 5-Feb-2014
Land had been registered as a town or village green but wrongly so. The claimant had sought rectification, but the respondents argued that the long time elapsed after registration should defeat the request.
Held: The appeal were solely as to . .
Cited – Newhaven Port and Properties Ltd v East Sussex County Council and Others Admn 21-Mar-2012
The company objected to the proposed registration by the defendant Council of a strip of beach land as a common. They said that it was not a ‘town or village green’ within the 2006 Act.
Held: The court rejected all grounds of objection, save . .
Cited – Newhaven Port and Properties Ltd, Regina (on The Application of) v East Sussex County Council and Another CA 27-Mar-2013
The port challenged the proposed registration of part of the beach at Newhaven as a village green, saying that the result would be inconsistent with their performance of their statutory duties. . .
Cited – Newhaven Port and Properties Ltd, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for The Environment Food and Rural Affairs CA 14-Jun-2013
. .
Cited – Newhaven Port and Properties Ltd, Regina (on The Application of) v East Sussex County Council and Another SC 25-Feb-2015
The court was asked: ‘whether East Sussex County Council . . was wrong in law to decide to register an area . . known as West Beach at Newhaven . . as a village green pursuant to the provisions of the Commons Act 2006. The points of principle raised . .
Cited – Littlejohns, Regina (on The Application of) v Devon County Council and Another Admn 24-Mar-2015
The claimants sought judicial review of the refusal by the defendants to register rights of common in certain lands under the 2006 Act. The defendants said that the rights asserted did not fall within the scope of transitional provisions in the 2006 . .
Cited – Littlejohns and Another v Devon County Council and Another CA 6-May-2016
Appeal against rejection of request for registration of land as a common: ‘At the heart of the appeal lies the question of law whether it is possible to acquire a right of common by virtue of an express grant or (as in the present case) user after 2 . .
Cited – Trail Riders Fellowship and Another, Regina (on The Application of) v Dorset County Council SC 18-Mar-2015
Objection had been made that a plan, used to register a right of way before it would disappear if un-registered, was to the wrong scale and that therefore the application was ineffetive.
Held: The Council’s appeal failed. The plan was too . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Land, Administrative

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.242159

The Government of Sierra Leone v Davenport and others: CA 2002

An application was made to commit a defendant for contempt of court in failing to comply with parts of a court order.
Held: He was found to have been in contempt but the failure had been cured and no penalty beyond costs was imposed on him.

Judges:

Lasw LJ

Citations:

[2002] EWCA Civ 230

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

See Also – The Government of Sierra Leone v Davenport and others ChD 7-Nov-2003
. .
Cited – Wood v Collins CA 11-May-2006
W appealed a sentence (28 days suspended) for contempt of court by her estranged husband, saying it had been too lenient. The respondent had been committed for contempt of court. He had his sentence reduced on appeal. She now sought to appeal in . .
Cited – Office of Fair Trading v Miller CA 3-Feb-2009
Order must be clear to found contempt charge
The defendant appealed against a finding of contempt of court after being found to have sold defective kitchen equipment in breach of a stop order. The defendant had been previously committed for breach of the same order, and released on his . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Contempt of Court

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.242939

Kiani v Land Rover Ltd Others: CA 28 Jun 2006

Mr Kiani went to work at the Land Rover plant; his dead body was found in a tank in the area in which he worked. He had died of asphyxia. His personal representative sued on the basis that Mr. Kiani had accidentally fallen into the tank; Land Rover suggested that his death was suicide. There were thus two possible explanations. The first instance judge had found suicide to be a less than probable explanation, he found that it occurred as a result of accident because the tank had its hatch left open and that Mr. Kiani had probably gone over to have a look, overbalanced and fallen in.
Held: The appeal was dismissed.
Waller LJ discussed the difficulty arising where two scenarios appeared possible on the facts and said: ‘I do not myself think that it is false logic to reason that where only two possibilities are under consideration both of which seem unlikely, if one seems much less likely than the other, the less likely can be discounted thus making the first likely to have happened on the balance of probabilities.’
Waller LJ said: ‘It seems to me that some of the criticisms made of the recorder are on any view not justified. First it does not seem to me legitimate to say that [certain] evidence established that an accidental fall was ‘impossible’.

. . Second it is not in my view fair to criticise the recorder for not setting out precisely how any accident occurred anymore than it would be fair to say to the defendants that they should show precisely how a deliberate act of suicide would have occurred. As long as accident can be demonstrated to be possible, it is open to a court which has discounted any other possibility to be of the view that accident has been proved on the balance of probabilities. That must be particularly true where a breach of duty, a duty to guard against the very type of injury with which the case is concerned, has been established. Third, I do not myself think that it is false logic to reason that where only two possibilities are under consideration both of which seem unlikely, if one seems much less likely than the other, the less likely can be discounted thus making the first likely to have happened on the balance of probabilities.’

Judges:

Waller, Rix, Richards LJJ

Citations:

[2006] EWCA Civ 880

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Fosse Motor Engineers Ltd and others v Conde Nast and National Magazine Distributors Ltd and Another TCC 20-Aug-2008
The claimant said that the defendant’s employees had negligently started a fire which burned down the claimant’s warehouse. There was limited evidence to establish the cause.
Held: The claim failed. The scientific evidence did not point to any . .
Cited – Nulty and Others v Milton Keynes Borough Council CA 24-Jan-2013
There had been two fires at a depot owned by the claimants. The fires were found to have been likely to have been caused by the deceased employee. His insurers had repudiated liability saying that the had not been notified oin a timely fashion.
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Health and Safety, Litigation Practice

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.242897

Regina v Griffiths: CACD 1974

It was perfectly correct to direct a jury that, in common sense and in law, they may find that the defendant knew or believed goods to have been stolen because he deliberately closed his eyes to the circumstances.

Judges:

James LJ

Citations:

(1974) 60 Cr App R 14

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Saik, Regina v HL 3-May-2006
The defendant appealed aganst his conviction for conspiracy to engage in moneylaundering. At trial he pleaded guilty subject to a qualification that he had not known that the money was the proceeds of crime, though he may have suspected that it . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Crime

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.241537

Davies v Griffiths: 1936

The proper procedure for justices is that Magistrates should announce the decision to convict before inquiring of the previous convictions and, that being so, the defendant or his counsel should have the further opportunity of addressing the Court.

Citations:

[1937] 2 All ER 671, [1936] Weekly Notes 126

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Considered – Regina v East Kerrier Justices ex parte Mundy 1952
. .
Cited – Murchison v Southend Magistrates’ Court Admn 24-Jan-2006
The defendant faced an accusation of having slapped a child in the street. The child’s carer had called the police to say that she thought the complaint a practical joke. The defendant did not give evidence. The magistrates retired and came back to . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Magistrates

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.241311

Nea Karteria Maritime Co Ltd v Atlantic and Great Lakes Steamship Corporation (No 2): 11 Dec 1978

The court considered disclosure of a legally privileged note of an interview: ‘I believe that the principle underlying the rule of practice exemplified by Burnell v British Transport Commission is that, where a party is deploying in court material which would otherwise be privileged, the opposite party and the court must have an opportunity of satisfying themselves that what the party has chosen to release from privilege represents the whole of the material relevant to the issue in question. To allow an individual item to be plucked out of context would be to risk injustice through its real weight or meaning being misunderstood.’ and ‘Where a person is deploying in court material which would otherwise be privileged, the opposite party and the court must have the opportunity of satisfying themselves that what the party has chosen to release from privilege represents the whole of the material relevant to the issue in question. To allow an individual item to be plucked out of context would be to risk injustice through its real weight or meaning being misunderstood. . . I would describe that as the cherry picking aspect.’ and ‘The key word here is ‘deploying’. A mere reference to a privileged document in an affidavit does not of itself amount to a waiver of privilege, and this is so even if the document referred to is being relied on for some purpose, for reliance in itself is said not to be the test. Instead, the test is whether the contents of the document are being relied on, rather than its effect. The problem is acute in cases where the maker of an affidavit or witness statement has to give details of the source of his information and belief, in order to comply with the rules of admissibility of such affidavit or witness statement. Provided that the maker does not quote the contents, or summarise them, but simply refers to the document’s effect, there is apparently no waiver of privilege. This benevolent view has not been extended to the case where the maker refers to the document in order to comply with the party’s need to give full and frank disclosure, eg on a without notice (ex parte) application.’

Judges:

Mustill J

Citations:

[1981] Comm LR 138

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Cited – Burnell v British Transport Commission CA 1956
The plaintiff sought damages for personal injury. When his witness was cross-examined on his earlier statement, he agreed he had made the statement. Counsel for the Plaintiff asked to see the whole statement. Counsel for the Defendant objected on . .

Cited by:

Cited – Fulham Leisure Holdings Ltd v Nicholson Graham and Jones ChD 14-Feb-2006
The defendant solicitors were being sued for professional negligence. The claimants had taken legal advice after termination of the retainer which led to the present action, and sought to rely upon part of counsel’s opinion. The defendants sought . .
Cited – Loizou, Regina v CACD 14-Jul-2006
The defendant appealed against her conviction for assisting in the disposal of the proceeds of criminal activity, saying that the judge had incorrectly ruled that she had waived legal privilege as to the advice given to her at the police station, . .
Cited – Somatra Limited v Sinclair Roche and Temperley (a Firm) etc CA 26-Jul-2000
In an action between clients and their solicitors, the solicitors produced at an interlocutory hearing evidence derived from without prejudice discussions. The claimants applied for disclosure of all such documents, but this was rejected on the . .
Cited – Dunlop Slazenger International Ltd v Joe Bloggs Sports Ltd CA 11-Jun-2003
Waller LJ said: ‘To answer the question whether waiver of parts of a privileged communication waives the complete information, it is that dictum of Mustill J., as he then was, which applies. A party is not entitled to cherry pick and a party to whom . .
Cited – Mayne Pharma Pty Ltd Another v Debiopharm Sa and Another PatC 10-Feb-2006
Defendant’s application in patent revocation claims . .
Approved – Great Atlantic Insurance v Home Insurance CA 1981
The defendants sought to enter into evidence one part of a document, but the plaintiffs sought to have the remainder protected through legal professional privilege.
Held: The entirety of the document was privileged, but by disclosing part, the . .
Cited – Brennan and others v Sunderland City Council Unison GMB EAT 16-Dec-2008
No Waiver for disclosure of Advice
EAT PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE: Admissibility of evidence
The claimant sought disclosure of certain legal advice on the basis that its effect, and a summary of its contents, had been put before the court and . .
Cited – Regina v Secretary of State for Transport ex-parte Factortame and Others CA 1988
The Secretary of State was willing to make legal advice given to him available on the grounds that privilege had been waived, but not advice after a particular cut off date. The claimants were dubious as to whether the privilege had been properly . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Litigation Practice, Legal Professions

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.240157

Cepheus Shipping Corporation v Guardian Royal Exchange Plc: 1995

Judges:

Mance J

Citations:

[1995] 1 LL Rep 647

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Three Rivers District Council and others v The Governor and Company of the Bank of England ComC 12-Apr-2006
The claimants had pursued compensation over many years from the defendants alleging various kinds of misfeasance in regulating the bank BCCI. The action had collapsed.
Held: ‘this was extraordinary litigation which came to an abrupt albeit . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Costs

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.240387

Long v Hepworth: 1968

Judges:

Cooke J

Citations:

[1968] 1 WLR 1299

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – A v Hoare; H v Suffolk County Council, Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs intervening; X and Y v London Borough of Wandsworth CA 12-Apr-2006
Each claimant sought damages for a criminal assault for which the defendant was said to be responsible. Each claim was to be out of the six year limitation period. In the first claim, the proposed defendant had since won a substantial sum from the . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Limitation

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.240376

Grey v Friar: 1854

Coleridge J: ‘the covenants must have been strictly kept, or, if broken, must have been satisfied for. So understood, the words import a condition precedent neither impossible nor unreasonable; and where that is clearly the case, the mere difficulty of performance, from the number or nature of the covenants to be performed, – a fact which must have been perfectly within the knowledge of the party contracting, – seems to me a very unsatisfactory reason for holding it to be otherwise.’

Judges:

Coleridge J

Citations:

(1854) 4 HL Cas 565

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Bass Holdings Ltd v Morton Music Ltd CA 1987
The tenant had the option to take a further lease on giving written notice of their desire ‘if it shall have . . performed and observed the several stipulations on its part to be performed and observed up to the date of [the notice]’. The question . .
Cited – Fitzroy House Epworth Street (No. 1) Ltd and Another v Financial Times Ltd CA 31-Mar-2006
The defendant tenant sought to exercise a break clause in the lease. The landlord said that the notice was deficient because the tenant had failed ‘materially to comply with’ its repairing obligations. The judge found the cost of repairs were . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Landlord and Tenant

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.240011

Magdalena Steam Navigation Company v Martin: 1859

The defendant asserted that he was entitled to diplomatic privilege to protect him from an action here. He was public minister of a foreign state. He had been received by the Court and given formal accreditation. He had no real property in Britain.
Held: Since he had done nothing to disentitled himself from such protection, he remained entitled in a civil action ‘although such action may arise out of commercial transactions by him here, and although neither his person nor his goods be touched by the suit.’

Citations:

[1859] 34 LTOS 30, [1859] 5 Jur NS 1260, [1859] 7 WR 598, [1859] 121 ER 36, (1859) 2 E and E 94, [1859] 28 LJQB 310

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Regina v Jones (Margaret), Regina v Milling and others HL 29-Mar-2006
Domestic Offence requires Domestic Defence
Each defendant sought to raise by way of defence of their otherwise criminal actions, the fact that they were attempting to prevent the commission by the government of the crime of waging an aggressive war in Iraq, and that their acts were . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Constitutional

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.239965

Whitelegg v Richards: 1823

A debtor had been imprisoned to coerce him to pay his debt to the plaintiff. The defendant, a court clerk, ordered him to be released. The plaintiff said this was ‘wrongfully and maliciously intending to injure the plaintiff’. Abbott CJ recorded: ‘On the argument before us, some authorities were quoted to shew, that an action upon the case may be maintained against an officer of a Court for a falsity or misconduct in his office, whereby a party sustains a special damage; and that, in this case, a damage was plainly shewn by the loss of the means of enforcing payment from the debtor, as in actions against sheriffs or gaolers for an escape. It is not necessary to repeat the authorities quoted. The general principle was not contraverted’. Damage was regarded as the gist of the action.

Judges:

Abbott CJ

Citations:

(1823) 2 B and C 45

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Watkins v Home Office and others HL 29-Mar-2006
The claimant complained of misfeasance in public office by the prisons for having opened and read protected correspondence whilst he was in prison. The respondent argued that he had suffered no loss. The judge had found that bad faith was . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Torts – other, Damages

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.239995

Bermingham and others v The Director of the Serious Fraud Office: QBD 21 Feb 2006

Prosecution to protect defendant not available

The claimants faced extradition to the US. They said that the respondent had infringed their human rights by deciding not to prosecute them in the UK. There was no mutuality in the Act under which they were to be extradited.
Held: The Director had a discretion as to whether to prosecute. He had no duty to consider the place of trial as a way of protecting the defendants’ human rights: ‘The request to investigate in effect invited the Director [of the Serious Fraud Office] to constitute himself the judge of the proper forum for the defendants’ trial and to decide the issue in favour of trial here and not the United States: and thereby to pre-empt the statutory extradition process. Such a function cannot conceivably be found in s. 1(3) of the [Criminal Justice Act 1987].’ The section created only a power to investigate. To take it further would be fanciful and would usurp the role of the judicary. As to the extraditions themselves the Home Secretary had no remaining discretion as to whether or not to authorise extradition. He had a duty to do so. The case had substantial connections with the US and was properly triable there.
In the absence of a wholly exceptional case, the court would not intervene to examine by way of judicial review a discretionary decision by the Director of the SFO to investigate or not to investigate fraud.

Judges:

Lord Justice Laws, Mr Justice Ouseley

Citations:

[2006] EWHC 200 (Admin), Times 24-Feb-2006, [2006] 3 All ER 239, [2007] QB 727, [2006] UKHRR 450, [2006] ACD 55, [2007] 2 WLR 635

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Extradition Act 2003 103 108, Criminal Justice Act 1987 1(3)

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

Cited – Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire HL 28-Apr-1987
No General ty of Care Owed by Police
The mother of a victim of the Yorkshire Ripper claimed in negligence against the police alleging that they had failed to satisfy their duty to exercise all reasonable care and skill to apprehend the perpetrator of the murders and to protect members . .
Cited – Regina v Sectretary of State for the Home Department ex parte Razgar etc HL 17-Jun-2004
The claimant resisted removal after failure of his claim for asylum, saying that this would have serious adverse consequences to his mental health, infringing his rights under article 8. He appealed the respondent’s certificate that his claim was . .
Cited – Regina v Special Adjudicator ex parte Ullah; Regina v Secretary of State for the Home Department HL 17-Jun-2004
The applicants had had their requests for asylum refused. They complained that if they were removed from the UK, their article 3 rights would be infringed. If they were returned to Pakistan or Vietnam they would be persecuted for their religious . .
Cited – Government of Canada v Aronson; Director of Public Prosecutions v Aronson HL 20-Jul-1989
The Canadian Government asked for the arrest of the defendant and for his return to Canada to face 78 allegations in Canada. The magistrate had determined that there was sufficient evidence in 66 cases. The detainee said that 69 offences were not . .
Cited – Regina v Director of Public Prosecutions, ex parte Kebilene and others HL 28-Oct-1999
(Orse Kebeline) The DPP’s appeal succeeded. A decision by the DPP to authorise a prosecution could not be judicially reviewed unless dishonesty, bad faith, or some other exceptional circumstance could be shown. A suggestion that the offence for . .

Cited by:

Cited – Ahmad and Aswat v United States of America Admn 30-Nov-2006
The defendants appealed orders for their extradition. They were suspected of terrorist offences, and feared that instead of facing a trial, they would be placed before a military commission.
Held: The appeals failed. The court had diplomatic . .
Cited – McKinnon v USA and Another Admn 3-Apr-2007
The defendant appealed an order for his extradition. He had used his computer in London to access remotely defence and other government computers in the USA, and deleted files and copied others onto his own computer. He had been offered a deal if he . .
Cited – Corner House Research and Campaign Against Arms Trade, Regina (on the Application of) v Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Another Admn 10-Apr-2008
The defendant had had responsibility to investigate and if necessary prosecute a company suspected of serious offences of bribery and corruption in the conduct of contract negotiations. The investigation had been stopped, alledgedly at the . .
Cited – Norris v United States of America and others HL 12-Mar-2008
The detainee appealed an order for extradition to the USA, saying that the offence (price-fixing) was not one known to English common law. The USA sought his extradition under the provisions of the Sherman Act.
Held: It was not, and it would . .
Cited – Corner House Research and Others, Regina (on the Application of) v The Serious Fraud Office HL 30-Jul-2008
SFO Director’s decisions reviewable
The director succeeded on his appeal against an order declaring unlawful his decision to discontinue investigations into allegations of bribery. The Attorney-General had supervisory duties as to the exercise of the duties by the Director. It had . .
Cited – McKinnon, Regina (On the Application of) v Secretary Of State for Home Affairs Admn 31-Jul-2009
Assurances for Extradition
Extradition of the defendant was sought to the US to face allegations of hacking into defence computers there. He said this would infringe his article 3 rights, saying that he suffered Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Held: The application failed. US . .
Cited – Norris v Government of United States of America SC 24-Feb-2010
The defendant faced extradition to the USA on charges of the obstruction of justice. He challenged the extradition on the basis that it would interfere with his article 8 rights to family life, given that the offence was merely ancillary, the result . .
Cited – BH and Another v The Lord Advocate and Another SC 20-Jun-2012
The appellants wished to resist their extradition to the US to face criminal charges for drugs. As a married couple that said that the extraditions would interfere with their children’s rights to family life.
Held: The appeals against . .
Cited – Shaw, Regina (on The Application of) v Cheshire Constabulary Admn 23-Jul-2015
The claimant sought judicial review of a decision not to prosecute, now renewing his application for leave.
Held: Leave was refused: ‘The police have investigated and have come to a conclusion. The courts have set their face against reviewing . .
Cited – JJ Management Consulting Llp and Others v Revenue and Customs CA 22-Jun-2020
HMRC has power to conduct informal investigation
The taxpayer, resident here, but with substantial oversea business interests, challenged the conduct of an informal investigation of his businesses under the 2005 Act, saying that HMRC, as a creature of statute, are only permitted to do that which . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Extradition, Criminal Practice, Human Rights

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.239881

Kestner v Jason: 2005

The parties had entered into an arbitration agreement which purported to be subject to the Act, but applying the laws and practices of the Jewish Beth Din.

Citations:

[2005] 1 Lloyds Rep 397

Statutes:

Arbitration Act 1996

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Halpern and Another v Halpern and others ComC 24-Mar-2006
The deceased parents, being orthodox Jews, had first made standard wills and then made provision accoding to Jewish law. A dispute after the second death was referred to a Beth Din arbitration. After an initial resolution, various distributions were . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Arbitration

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.239597

SK and F v Department of Community Services: 1990

‘ . . An examination of the recent English decisions shows that the so-called ‘public interest’ defence is not so much a rule of law as an invitation to judicial idiosyncrasy by deciding each case on an ad hoc basis as to whether, on the facts overall, it is better to respect or to override the obligation of confidence’.

Judges:

Gummow J

Citations:

[1990] FSR 617

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – McKennitt and others v Ash and Another QBD 21-Dec-2005
The claimant sought to restrain publication by the defendant of a book recounting very personal events in her life. She claimed privacy and a right of confidence. The defendant argued that there was a public interest in the disclosures.
Held: . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

International

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.238825

A’court v Cross: 1835

The Chief Justice commented on the 1623 Act, saying that he was ‘sorry to be obliged to admit that the courts of justice [had] been deservedly censured for their vacillating decisions’ and: ‘When by distinctions and refinements, which, Lord Mansfield says, the common sense of mankind cannot keep face with, any branch of the law is brought into a state of uncertainty, the evil is only to be remedied by going back to the statute . . ‘

Judges:

Best CJ

Citations:

[1835] 3 Bing 329

Statutes:

Limitation Act 1623

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – Haward and others v Fawcetts HL 1-Mar-2006
The claimant sought damages from his accountants, claiming negligence. The accountants pleaded limitation. They had advised him in connection with an investment in a company which investment went wrong.
Held: It was argued that the limitation . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Limitation

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.238776

Attorney General v British Broadcasting Council: HL 1981

The House had to consider whether a local valuation court was a court for the purposes of the powers of the High Court relating to contempt.
Held: A body, which has a judicial function, was a court, whereas if it has an administrative function, albeit carried out judicially, it would not be a court. Lord Scarman: ‘there is a presumption, albeit rebuttable, that our municipal law will be consistent with our international obligations’
Viscount Dilhorne said: ‘While every court is a tribunal, the converse is not true. There are many tribunals which are not courts, despite the fact that they are charged with dealing with certain matters, and have features in common with courts. The distinction is drawn in this Country between tribunals which are courts and those which are not . . Generally I would say that just because a tribunal has features resembling those of a court, it should not be held to be a court. Tribunals created by or under acts of Parliament are not, as a general rule, courts, unless constituted as such by the act creating them. The only exception to this that I can find is the Lands Tribunal . . Parliament has on occasions enacted that a tribunal shall be a court. When it has refrained from doing so, say in the case of the Lands Tribunal, I am not prepared to hold that a tribunal it has created, no matter how much it resembles a court, is a court . . I think that a distinction has to be drawn between courts which discharge a judicial function and those which discharge administrative ones, between courts of law which form part of the judicial system of the Country on the one had, and courts which are constituted to resolve problems which arise in the course of administration or the government of this Country. In my opinion, a local valuation court comes within the latter category. It discharges functions formerly performed by assessment committees. It has to resolve disputes as to the valuation of hereditaments, while its decisions will affect an occupier’s liability for rates, it does not determine his liability. It is just part of the process of rating.’
Lord Edmund-Davies said: ‘At the end of the day, it has unfortunately to be said that there emerges no sure guide, no unmistakable hallmark by which a ‘court’ or ‘inferior court’ may unerringly be identified. It is largely a matter of impression. My own firm view is that a local valuation court is not such a body. I would add to that, if Parliament had it in mind to bring local valuation courts within the contempt procedure by which the Divisional Court is empowered to protect ‘inferior courts’, it is regrettable that they did not make this clear by legislation, as they have already done in several other Acts of Parliament cited to your Lordships.’

Judges:

Lord Scarman,Lord Edmund-Davies, Viscount Dilhorne

Citations:

[1981] AC 303, [1980] 3 All ER 161, [1980] 3 WLR 109

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

Cited – AD and OH (A Child) v Bury Metropolitan Borough Council CA 17-Jan-2006
The claimants, mother and son, sought damages from the respondent after they had commenced care proceedings resulting in the son being taken into temporary care. The authority had wrongly suspected abuse. The boy was later found to suffer brittle . .
Cited – Regina v Metcalf, Denton, Foster 26-May-2021
Public Inquiry is not In the Course of Justice
(Crown Court at Manchester) A retired solicitor and two retired police officers faced trial charged with doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice. They were said to have proposed alterations to statements of police . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Litigation Practice, Media, Contempt of Court

Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.238719