SETTING ASIDE JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT: DEFENDANT’S SOLICITOR FAILED TO NOTICE THAT PARTICULARS OF CLAIM HAD BEEN SERVED WITH THE CLAIM FORM
The judgment of HH Judge Hodge QC (sitting as a HIgh Court Judge) in Praetura Asset Finance Ltd v Hood [2019] EWHC 2231 (Comm) shows how important it is to check what has been served. The one, overwhelming, lesson for…
COURT ENTERS JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT OF DEFENCE – SIDESTEPPING THE LATE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SERVICE ARGUMENT: DENTON PRINCIPLES APPLIES
In Hanson & Ors v Carlino & Anor [2019] EWHC 1940 (Ch) Mrs Justice Falk neatly sidestepped the vexed question of when a claimant can enter judgment in default of acknowledgement of service by entering judgment in default of defence. …
CAN YOU ENTER JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT WHEN THE DEFENCE IS SERVED LATE? HIGH COURT DECISION THAT SAYS NOT
In Clements Smith v Berrymans Lace Mawer Service Co. & Anor [2019] EWHC 1904 (QB) Master McCloud considered the issue of whether a judgment entered after a defence had been filed late was a regular judgment. Permission was given to…
CLAIMANT CANNOT ENTER JUDGMENT AFTER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SERVICE IS FILED LATE: DENTON PRINCIPLES APPLIED TO GRANT DEFENDANT EXTENSION OF TIME TO DISPUTE THE JURISDICTION
The judgment in Cunico Resources NV & Ors v Daskalakis & Anor [2018] EWHC 3382 (Comm) addresses several procedural issues. Firstly the much debated question of whether a claimant can obtain judgment when the defendant has acknowledged service late. Mr Justice…
APPLYING FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME FOR FILING A DEFENCE – AFTER THE DEFENCE IS DUE: DENTON PRINCIPLES APPLIED: FULL TRANSCRIPT NOW AVAILABLE
The judgment of Deputy Master Pickering in Billington v Davies & Anor [2016] EWHC 1919 (Ch) has only recently appeared on BAILLI. It raises an interesting issue of how the courts should approach the question of a late application to extend…
RESPONDENT CAN STILL RAISE ISSUES ON DAMAGES AFTER LIABILITY IS DETERMINED: IMPORTANT POINT ON PROTECTING AN APPLICANT AS TO COSTS
The Court of Appeal decision in Office Equipment Systems Ltd v Hughes [2018] EWCA Civ 1842 is in relation to procedure in the Employment Tribunal. However there are two points in the judgment that are of general importance to civil practitioners. …
SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: DEFENDANT’S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: CLAIMANT’S “REASON TO BELIEVE”: A FEW POINTS TO WATCH
In Wards Solicitors v Hendawi [2018] EWHC 1907 (Ch) HHJ Paul Matthews (sitting as a judge of the High Court) considered the issue of whether a claimant had “reason to believe” that a defendant did not live at the address…
SETTING JUDGMENT ASIDE: LIMITATION, SECTION 33 AND DENTON: CARDS ON THE TABLE PLEASE – THIS IS THE CPR
In TPE v Franks [2018] EWHC 1765 (QB) Mr Justice Julian Knowles set aside a default judgment. The case contains some important observations as to how the courts should consider an application to set aside a default judgment – considering…
INSURANCE COMPANY ENTITLED TO EXEMPLARY DAMAGES AGAINST FRAUDSTERS: COURT OF APPEAL DECISION TODAY
In Axa Insurance UK Plc v Financial Claims Solutions Ltd & Ors [2018] EWCA Civ 1330 the Court of Appeal held that an insurance company was entitled to exemplary damages against parties who had attempted to defraud it. “the present case…
SETTING ASIDE A DEFAULT JUDGMENT DURING CLOSING SUBMISSIONS AT TRIAL: A “HIGHLY UNUSUAL CASE”
I am grateful to barrister Robert Smith for sending me a copy of the judgment of His Honour Judge Gargan in the case of Jackson -v- Durham County Council & ors (20th December 2017). The judgment dealt with the issue…
SERVICE BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS, THE ABSENT DEFENDANT, DEFAULT JUDGMENT AND COSTS: ABSENCE OF DEFENDANT DOESN’T CAUSE THE COURT TO MISS A GEAR
In Pirtek (UK) Ltd v Jackson [2017] EWHC 2834 (QB) Mr Justice Warby considered several procedural issues. These are of wider interest, particularly issues relating to the method of service, proceeding in the defendant’s absence, summary judgment and costs. …
WHY LIFE IS NOW DANGEROUS FOR DEFENDANTS (ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO DON’T FILE A DEFENCE ON TIME)
The judgment of Mr Justice Coulson in ADVA Optical Networking Limited -v- Optron Holding Limited [2017] EWHC 1813 (TCC) highlights what a dangerous world this can be for defendants. A defendant who is late filing a defence, and where judgment has not been…
SETTING JUDGMENT ASIDE AFTER REDBOURN: 10 KEY POINTS FOR DEFENDANTS (CLAIMANTS MUST READ TOO)
The judgment in Redbourn Group Ltd -v- Fairgate Development Limited [2017] EWHC 1223 (TCC) highlights the fact that there is a new age for a party seeking to set judgment aside. Not only does the party have to satisfy the requirements of…
SETTING ASIDE JUDGMENT, DELAY AND DENTON: “PROMPTNESS” CONSIDERED: DELAY MUST BE EXPLAINED
In Redbourn Group Ltd -v- Fairgate Development Limited [2017] EWHC 1223 (TCC) Mr Justice Coulson refused to set aside a default judgment. The case contains some important discussion on how the Denton principles apply to applications to set aside judgment. “……
IF THE DEFENCE IS FILED LATE THE CLAIMANT IS STILL ENTITLED TO DEFAULT JUDGMENT: TWO POINTS TO WATCH
The decision of Deputy Master Pickering in Billington -v- Davies [2016] EWHC 1919 (Ch) illustrates two important principles that are often overlooked. A claimant that has applied for default judgment in default of defence is still entitled to default judgment…
WHAT CAN A DEFENDANT ARGUE ABOUT DAMAGES AFTER A DEFAULT JUDGMENT 3: A NUANCED APPROACH
We have looked several times before at the question of what a defendant can argue in relation to damages after judgment has been entered*. The recent decision of Master Matthews in Merito Financial Services Limited -v- David Yelloly [2016] EWHC…
ATTRITIONAL WARFARE; UNMERITORIOUS POINTS AND UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS OF BAD FAITH: SO MUCH (AND MORE) IN ONE JUDGMENT
The judgment today of Mr Justice Edis in Hayden -v- Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust makes for uncomfortable reading on the issue of the general attitude of the lawyers towards the conduct of the litigation. In addition to…
DEFAULT JUDGMENT ON COUNTERCLAIM NOT SET ASIDE – AN OBJECT LESSON IN STAYING AWAKE IN LITIGATION
The decision of Master Matthews today in Goldcrest Distribution Ltd -v- McCole [2016] EWHC 1571 (Ch) provides an object lesson in the need to stay awake to procedural issues throughout litigation. The claimant had a default judgment on a counterclaim…
LITIGATION AND WORKLOAD 3: INSURERS
The first post in this series on litigators and workload got an (unexpected) amount of attention. As part of the series I want to look at one often overlooked, but crucial, part of the litigation chain, insurers. In particular claims…
MONEY JUDGMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GIVEN AFTER BREACH OF PEREMPTORY ORDER
In Rubin -v- Parsons [2016] EWHC 237 (Ch) Mr Justice Peter Smith considered the effect of breach of peremptory order in a case where the applicants were claiming much more complex relief. It shows that a much more calibrated approach…