The court was asked whether advice given by an accountant could be protected against disclosure by legal professional privilege. The company had taken advice from its accountants, and objected to disclosure of that advice to the tax authorities under a notice issued under section 20 of the 1970 Act.
Held: Legal professional privilege was not to be extended beyond the legal professions.
Mummery, Lloyd, Stanley Burnton LJJ
[2010] EWCA Civ 1094, [2010] STI 2709, [2011] Lloyds Rep FC 1, [2011] 1 All ER 316, [2011] 1 FCR 195, [2011] 1 Costs LR 92, [2011] 2 WLR 50, [2011] ACD 19, [2011] CP Rep 5, [2010] STC 2802, [2010] NPC 99, [2010] BTC 773
Bailii
Taxes Management Act 1970 20
England and Wales
Citing:
Cited – Regina v Derby Magistrates Court Ex Parte B HL 19-Oct-1995
No Breach of Solicitor Client Confidence Allowed
B was charged with the murder of a young girl. He made a confession to the police, but later changed his story, saying his stepfather had killed the girl. He was acquitted. The stepfather was then charged with the murder. At his committal for trial, . .
Cited – Wilden Pump Engineering Co v Fusfeld CA 1985
The 1977 Act conferred privilege on any communication involving patent attorneys made for the purpose of proceedings before the Comptroller of Patents or the Patents Appeal Tribunal. The defendants claimed privilege for all communications with their . .
Appeal from – Prudential Plc and Another, Regina (on the Application of) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and Another Admn 14-Oct-2009
The company had obtained legal advice but had taken it from their accountants. The Revenue sought its disclosure, and the company said that as legal advice it was protected by legal professional privilege.
Held: The material was not protected. . .
Cited – Three Rivers District Council and others v Governor and Company of the Bank of England (No 6) HL 11-Nov-2004
The Bank anticipated criticism in an ad hoc enquiry which was called to investigate its handling of a matter involving the claimant. The claimant sought disclosure of the documents created when the solicitors advised employees of the Bank in . .
Cited – Regina v Special Commissioner And Another, ex parte Morgan Grenfell and Co Ltd HL 16-May-2002
The inspector issued a notice requiring production of certain documents. The respondents refused to produce them, saying that they were protected by legal professional privilege.
Held: Legal professional privilege is a fundamental part of . .
Cited – Banning v Wright (Inspector of Taxes) HL 1972
Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone LC pointed out that the word ‘waiver’ is derived from the same root as the word ‘waif’ – a thing, or person, abandoned. Lord Hailsham continued: ‘In my view, the primary meaning of the word ‘waiver’ in legal parlance . .
Cited – Balabel v Air India CA 1988
When considering claims for legal professional privilege, the court should acknowledge the ‘continuity of communications’. However, where the traditional role of a solicitor had expanded, the scope of legal professional privilege should not be . .
Cited by:
Cited – Ford, Regina (on The Application of) v The Financial Services Authority Admn 11-Oct-2011
The claimant sought, through judicial review, control over 8 emails sent by them to their lawyers. They claimed legal advice privilege, but the emails contained advice sent by their chartered accountants. The defendant had sought to use them in the . .
Appeal from – Prudential Plc and Another, Regina (on The Application of) v Special Commissioner of Income Tax and Another SC 23-Jan-2013
The appellants resisted disclosure to the revenue of advice it had received. It claimed legal advice privilege (LAP), though the advice was from its accountants.
Held: (Lords Sumption and Clarke dissenting) LAP applies to all communications . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Legal Professions, Taxes Management
Leading Case
Updated: 10 November 2021; Ref: scu.425192