I am grateful to my colleague Eleanor Temple for sending me a copy of the decision of HHJ-Davis-White KC in the case of Ball -v- Ball (11th October 2022), a copy of the judgment is available here Ball v Ball…
In Tulip Trading Ltd v Ver [2022] EWHC 2970 (Ch) Mrs Justice Falk considered the factors involved when making an interim payment on account of costs. “The point of a payment on account is to provide the successful party with…
When in September I planned the webinar Expert Evidence in the Courts in 2022 there had been a dozen or so cases relating to experts in litigation. Since then there have been half a dozen more. There is an example…
In QX v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWCA Civ 1541 (22 November 2022) the Court of Appeal held that the courts have no power to compel a party to call a witness. “The starting proposition must…
I am grateful to Paul Balen for sending me a case report of a product liability case he was involved in. The judge found that a product liability case is not required to be lodged in the portal. This had…
The judgment of Mr Justice Freedman in Kerseviciene v Quadri & Anor [2022] EWHC 2951 (KB) is of considerable interest to anyone involved in litigation, particular personal injury litigation. The judge upheld a finding that a witness statement from the…
In Taray Brokering Ltd, Re [2022] EWHC 2958 (Ch) HH Pearce held it was not open to a party to place a penal notice on a court order when the court itself had not placed such a notice on the…
In Motorola Solutions, Inc & Anor v Hytera Communications Corporation Ltd & Ors [2022] EWHC 2887 (Comm) Mr Justice Picken considered an issue relating to valid service. A firm of solicitors, that stated it would accept service of proceedings, argued…
The judgment of Costs Judge Brown in MNO v HKC & Anor [2022] EWHC 2919 (SCCO) considers the question of an appropriate success fee between solicitor and client in a personal injury case. The judge did not accept the argument…
For a very short time the paperback book “Forgotten Yorkshire & Parts of North Derbyshire and Humberside” is on offer for 0.99 pence (reduced from £10.00). This has led the inimitable Tripe Marketing Board to make sure that profits from…
In Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd & Ors v JJH Enterprises Ltd (Re Electronic Filing of Appellant’s Notice) [2022] EWCA Civ 1509 the Court of Appeal upheld a finding that an appellant’s notice filed electronically after 4.30pm on the last date…
In Deutsche Bank AG v Sebastian Holdings Inc. & Anor [2022] EWHC 2920 (SCCO) Senior Costs Judge Gordon-Saker gave a judgment which finalised a detailed assessment that had lasted 104 days. The judge found that, prior to the assessment concluding, …
In Brake & Anor v Guy & Ors (Costs) [2022] EWHC 2907 (Ch) HHJ Paul Matthews (sitting as a High Court Judge) considered an argument that the costs of an application should be subject to detailed assessment rather than summarily…
Amidst the bustle of recent cases about costs the European Court of Human Rights decision in Coventry v. the United Kingdom – 6016/16 may well be overlooked. The Court found that the “old” system of conditional fee litigation, whereby a defendant was…
The previous post on Belsner indicated that a final order had been made by the Court of Appeal. That order can be seen here BelsnerSEALED ORDER (1) and the text is reproduced below. The interesting aspect of the order is,…
The latest development in Belsner v CAM Legal Services Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 1387 is that the unsuccessful claimant has been ordered to pay £130,000 on account of costs and repay £25,000 that was previously paid to her. However, here I…
I put details of this webinar up in early November. Unfortunately the event reached capacity and some people were not able to view it. However it was recorded and it is now available online here. THE WEBINAR Fixed costs…
An issue I have seen periodically, but twice this week, is a belief by some claimant solicitors that an advice obtained for the purpose of approval of a civil action for a protected party has to be shown to the…
In Holdgate v Bishop [2022] EWHC 2850 (KB) Master Thornett granted the defendant’s application for summary judgement on a specific issue. The Master granted the defendant judgment on the issue of whether the claimant had instructed solicitors to sell land…
I am grateful to Nick McDonell from Kain Knight for sending me a copy of the judgment of Costs Judge Rowley in Brown -v- JMW Solicitors LLP [2022] 2848 (SCCO). In that case the judge refused to make an order…
The judgment of Mr Justice Foxton in Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd & Ors v Tughans (a firm) [2022] EWHC 2825 (Comm) shows considerable concern about the way in which parties are attempting to deal with issues following the…
The judgment of Mr Justice Garnham in Correia v Williams [2022] EWHC 2824 (KB), was looked at yesterday on this blog. The judgment also contains an interesting approach to civil evidence at trial. The claimant’s solicitor prepared a witness statement annexing her…
I am grateful to barrister Jake Rowley for drawing my attention to the judgment of Mr Justice Garnham in Correia v Williams [2022] EWHC 2824 (KB). Mr Justice Garnham refused an appeal when a judge had held that a witness…
The judgment of Mrs Justice Heather Williams in Lydford v Skinner [2021] EWHC 3783 (QB) could well appear in the “Proving Things” series. A claimant’s action for damages for personal injury failed because he failed to establish that an occupier was…
There is a short postscript to the judgment of Paul Bowen KC (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) in YR, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Lambeth [2022] EWHC 2813 (Admin), which is of general importance….
In Atmani & Ors v Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea & Ors [2022] EWHC 2618 (KB) Senior Master Fontaine considered the costs consequences of the decisions made in her judgment, considered in an earlier post. The Master held that…
In Abdel-Kader & Ors v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea & Ors [2022] EWHC 2006 (QB)Senior Master Fontaine considered the basis for applying for judgment and interim costs. The claimants had not identified the basis upon which judgment was…
There is a detailed exposition of the principles relating to costs budgeting in the judgment of Mrs Justice Joanna Smith in Various Sam Borrowers v BOS (Shared Appreciation Mortgages) No. 1 Plc & Ors [2022] EWHC 2594 (Ch). The judgment…
In OCM Maritime Nile Llc & Anor v Courage Shipping Co & Ors [2022] EWHC 2696 (Comm) Sir Andrew Smith considered, and applied, the principles relating to non-party costs orders against directors. “I infer that the defence of the claims…
The Oxford Mail carries a story on the 4th November which is highly disturbing. The headline says it all “Judge adjourns case for a week after reports of ‘barristers abusing court staff'” This, if established, is appalling behaviour. Rude, abhorrent…
In Bilta (UK) Ltd & Ors v SVS Securities PLC & Ors (Consequential Matters) [2022] EWHC 1431 (Ch) Mr Justice Marcus Smith considered the issues that arise when the parties have settled a large number of issues in an action,…
The judgment of HHJ Luba KC in Ibrahim v London Borough Of Haringey & Anor [2022] EW Misc 9 (CC) shows a surprising approach to evidence on the part of the both sides. “Given the nominal value of the claim,…
It is always interesting to look at the figures involved in relation to costs budgeting. We can see an example in the decision of Mr Roger Ter Haar KC in University of Manchester v John McAslan & Partners Ltd &…
In Associated Newspapers Ltd v Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd (Cost Budgeting) [2022] EWHC 2767 (TCC) Mr Roger Ter Haar KC considered principles relating to the budgeting process. He reduced a budget by 15% across the board. “In my judgment, the…
Brett Dixon’s book is essential reading for all those involved in litigation relating to accidents at work. Much has happened since the previous edition in 2008 and this book deals with all the essential elements a litigator involved in this…
There is no shortage of commentary on the Belsner case. I have rounded up a dozen posts here. Unusually those representing both sides (and the intervenor) have given some commentary. I have set out the links below. TWO…
Halloween may, and should, be more muted this year. I had planned to write a post on delays in the civil courts, which can be really scary. I will save this from another date. Instead I have resurrected contributions from…
In TMO Renewables Ltd v Yeo & Ors [2022] EWCA Civ 1409 the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against an order for costs. The case is a reminder of the difficulty in appealing a decision as to costs. Further…
Continuing with the analysis of the judgment in Belsner v CAM Legal Services Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 1387 we now look at the decision in relation to whether these were contentious or non-contentious costs. “the distinction between contentious and non-contentious…
The first point that has to be made about the decision in Belsner v CAM Legal Services Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 1387 relates to economics. The argument that took four days in the Court of Appeal was over a small…
In Achille v Lawn Tennis Association Services Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 1407 the Court of Appeal considered the meaning of the word “proceedings” in the costs of a claimant bringing a “mixed claim” for damages. It held that it was…
Fast on the heels of the judgment in Belsner today was the Court of Appeal decision in Karatysz v SGI Legal LLP [2022] EWCA Civ 1388, where a clear warning shot was fired in relation to the practice of seeking…
The Court of Appeal have allowed the appeal in Belsner -v- Cam Legal Services. The judgment [2022] EWCA Civ 1387 can be found here. I will conduct a detailed analysis of the decision in the near future. Here are the…
In Eaton v Auto-Cycle Union Ltd & Ors [2022] EWHC 2642 (KB) Mr Justice Turner was critical of the expert evidence called by the claimant. “Quite simply, he lacked the necessary expertise to substantiate and justify his conclusions. It…
Alongside solicitor Hilary Wetherell we are presenting a series of webinars to take practitioners through the major elements of personal injury law, practice and procedure. Each webinar can be viewed as a stand alone webinar as well as being part…
In Evans v R&V Allgemeine Verischerung AG [2022] EWHC 2688 (KB) HHJ Howells (sitting as a High Court Judge) did not accept the claimant’s argument that the defendant’s conduct of the case was such that indemnity costs should be ordered….
I have already written three times about the judgment of Mr Justice Cotter in Muyepa v Ministry of Defence [2022] EWHC 2648 (KB). I have not explored in detail the important observations in that judgment in relation to claiming, and presenting,…
We are, again, mining the judgment of Mr Justice Cotter in Muyepa v Ministry of Defence [2022] EWHC 2648 (KB). This time in relation to the judge’s comments and findings in relation to the expert evidence, in particular the non-medical evidence…
We are returning to the judgment of Mr Justice Cotter in Muyepa v Ministry of Defence [2022] EWHC 2648 (KB). The judgment recounts the history and detail of the legislation and principles governing fundamental dishonesty before applying them to the facts…
In Muyepa v Ministry of Defence [2022] EWHC 2648 (KB) Mr Justice Cotter set out detailed considerations for assessing witness credibility. Here we look at the description of the process of analysing the credibility of the witnesses. “But what…
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