Some debtors tend to wriggle on the hook in an attempt to put off the inevitable but they are always likely to come second in a game of cat and mouse with specialist solicitors. A case on point concerned a businessman who had twice been jailed for his failure to…
Teenager Struck by Hit-and-Run Driver Due Massive Compensation
Deciding where blame lies for road accidents is one of the more anxious tasks faced by judges, particularly if the victim is a child. That was certainly so in the case of a 13-year-old boy who was catastrophically injured by a reckless driver who was on the run from the…
BBC Fined for Breaching Embargo on Recording of Court Proceedings
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of court hearings have been conducted remotely, via online video link, but the strict ban on any private recording of legal proceedings has throughout remained fully in force. In a case on point, the BBC received a stiff fine for breaching that embargo. The…
Unconventional NHS Job Interview Infected by Discrimination, ET Rules
Many employers understandably prefer an informal atmosphere when interviewing job candidates. However, as an Employment Tribunal (ET) ruling showed, there is always a risk that such an approach may leave room for bias or discrimination to creep unintentionally into the selection process. The case concerned a man of mature years…
High Court Grants Child Murderers of Angela Wrightson Lifetime Anonymity
Balancing freedom of the press against the human rights of individuals is always a fraught exercise and, as a High Court case showed, that is doubly so in a criminal context when young children commit heinous offences. The case concerned two women who were aged 13 and 14 when they…
Worldwide Asset Freezing Orders Issued After Bank Cries $1 Billion Fraud
Even banks and other sophisticated financial institutions are sometimes caught out by apparently thriving businesses which are not all that they seem. In a case on point, the High Court came to the urgent aid of an overseas bank which claimed to have lost more than $1 billion as a…
High Court Orders Removal of Defamatory Online Consumer Review
The appearance of a bad review on a consumer website can be a devastating blow to any business. However, as a High Court case showed, the law will not stand by if such a review strays beyond honest opinion and descends into the realms of libel. The case concerned a…
Company’s Defence to Winding Up Petition ‘Manifestly Incredible’
When companies are faced with winding up petitions it is often asserted on their behalf that their alleged debts are genuinely disputed. However, as a High Court decision showed, judges were not born yesterday and tend to take a critical approach when assessing the credibility of such claims. The case…
Edge-of-Town Retail/Leisure Development Survives Court of Appeal Challenge
Commercial property developers will sit up and take notice of the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold planning permission for a large retail and leisure development despite concerns that it will have a significant adverse impact on the vitality and viability of an existing town centre. A local authority granted…
Boy Left Brain Damaged by Malnutrition Receives £13 Million Compensation
Childbirth should always be a happy event but, if things go wrong, specialist lawyers are always there to ensure that fair compensation is paid. In one case, a teenager who suffered catastrophic brain damage as a baby because he was not getting enough milk received millions of pounds in compensation…