A search term that led to this blog today was “why can’t the case presenter or representative can ask his witness leading questions during evidence-in – chief?” Examination in chief is rare in civil cases. The dangers of asking leading…
On the 20th January there were some slight amendments to Form N244 – the form for making applications in civil proceedings. THE CHANGES So far as I can tell the main change is to the statement of truth. There…
Hot on the heels of the new Senior Costs Office Guide today there is a new edition of the Queen’s Bench Guide. THE GUIDE The guide is available here THE PREFACE The President of the Queen’s Bench Division, Dame Victoria…
In Merritt v Thurrock Council & Anor [2021] EW Misc 2 (CC) HHJ Karen Walden-Smith found that the defendant had no defence to a claim for trespass. However enforcement of the order was delayed because of the coronavirus situation. …
The latest version of the Senior Court Costs Office Guide is available from today. THE GUIDE The Guide is available on a link here. The Guide now only exists electronically although the notes observe that it may be…
The latest HMCTS weekly operational summary on courts and tribunals during coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak contains some important links for those using the courts. LINKS HMCTS held a webinar for legal professionals to provide information on the arrangements in place at courts…
A search term that led to this blog earlier this week was “witness of fact giving expert evidence”. This, and changes coming into force in the Business and Property Courts in March mean that this is a good time to…
In Alli-Balogun & On The Beach Ltd & Ors [2021] EWHC 83 (QB) Mr Justice Bourne considered an issue relating to mis-service of proceedings. He held that service on a foreign company on another company, in the same group, with…
Anyone who lives around York is aware of the ever-present risk of flooding. Recent events mean that this is a good time to update the post giving links to assistance in relation to floods. I have added some new links…
In Rees v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2021] EWCA Civ 49 the Court of Appeal upheld a decision not to award interest on damages for damages for malicious prosecution and misfeasance in public office. THE CASE The claimant…
In Masters v Charles Fussell & Co LLP [2021] EWHC B1 (Costs) Costs Judge Rowley found that bills rendered by the defendant solicitors were not final bills and the claimant retained a right to challenge those costs. ” in order…
In Pallett v MGN Ltd [2021] EWHC 76 (Ch) Mr Justice Mann considered a major anomaly in the rules relating to claimant’s Part 36 offers. This shows that any claimant making a Part 36 offer must remember that a defendant…
In F v M [2021] EWFC 4 Mr Justice Hayden considered issues relating to fact finding in a case of “coercive control”. Although the difficulties here are in the context of a family case, the issues will have some relevance…
There have been a number of recent cases regarding the appropriate drafting of witness statements, in particular attempts to put much inadmissible material into statements. This can be seen in the judgment of HH Russen QC in Philipp v Barclays…
In The 52 Occupiers of the Ceramic Works v Bowmer & Kirkland Ltd & Anor [2021] EWHC 17 (TCC) District Judge Baldwin considered an application to substitute a defendant after the primary limitation period had expired. The judge, if anything,…
In the judgment in The White Lion Hotel (A Partnership) v James [2021] EWCA Civ 31 the Court of Appeal set out some importance principles in relation to claims based on the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957. The court upheld a…
In a judgment given today the Court of Appeal upheld the decision at first instance in the judgment of HHJ Parfitt (sitting as a High Court Judge in Lexlaw Ltd v Zuberi [2020] EWHC 1855 (Ch). THE COURT OF APPEAL JUDGMENT In…
There are now 200 posts in the “Proving Things” Series. These centre, usually, on a failure to establish matters at trial. Sometimes the failures are dramatic. In Marathon Asset Management LLP -v- Seddon [2017] EWHC 300 (Comm) i the claimants had…
In Langley v GMB & Ors [2020] EWHC 3619 (QB) Mrs Justice Stacy refused a claimant’s application for an order that a defendant’s witness attend court personally. The matter could proceed fairly with the witness attending remotely. This judgment (given…
“HIS WITNESS STATEMENT … CONTAINED A GREAT DEAL OF ANALYSIS, SUBMISSION AND COMMENTARY ON DOCUMENTS”
Because of the imminent changes in the rules in the Business and Property courts it is an opportune time to see how often the basic principles of witness evidence are not being observed. We see this in the judgment in YJB…
The judgment of Mr Stephen Houseman QC sitting as a Deputy High Court judge in YJB Port Ltd v M&A Pharmachem Ltd & Anor [2021] EWHC 42 (Ch) is another example of a party failing to prove it had suffered…
In Richards v Harvey [2021] EWHC 21 (Ch) HHJ Cooke, doubted the authenticity of emails relied upon by the claimant. It is a reminder of the importance of a notice to prove. “This document is not reliable evidence of…
Sicri v Associated Newspapers Ltd (Rev 1) [2020] EWHC 3541 (QB) is an unusual case in many ways. There are issues that are sensitive and require careful consideration. However there are also observations about claiming loss of earnings and proving…
In Bilta (UK) Ltd & Ors v SVS Securities Plc & Ors [2021] EWHC 36 (Ch) Mr Justice Marcus Smith examined in detail the principles relating to court hearings during COVID. There is an examination of the steps that need…
A survey is taking place in relation to facilities at the Business and Property Courts in Leeds. The closing date is 29th January 2021. “Background Leeds is a core commercial hub and the biggest legal centre outside London. We…
The HMCTS operational summary for this week states that “all those who work in courts and tribunal” are critical workers “Updated: All those essential to keeping the justice system running are considered critical workers. This applies to all those who work…
In Just Digital Marketplace Ltd (enforcement – controlled goods agreements – taking control of goods) [2021] EWHC 15 (QB) Master McCloud gave an important judgment about the extent of the powers of a High Court Enforcement Officer. However there is no…
The Civil Justice Council Working Group Report of Guideline Hourly Rates has been published and is available here . THE REPORT The guideline hourly rates were last increased in 2010. A series of reports since that time have led to…
In Ceviz v Frawley & Anor [2021] EWHC 8 (Ch) HHJ Keyser QC made observations about a witness statement. This case highlights the need for practitioners to be aware of the limitations of witness statement. If this kind of statement…
In Advinia Care Homes Ltd v (1) BUPA Care Homes Investments (Holdings) Ltd & Ors [2020] EWHC 1563 (Ch) Mr Michael Green QC (sitting as a High Court judge) refused a claimant’s application to withdraw from an admission. “The whole…
PD51ZA WAS NOT EXTENDED: NEW PROVISIONS PLANNED TO ALLOW RULES TO BE CHANGED DURING PUBLIC EMERGENCY
There have been several enquiries recently as to whether PD51ZA, which allowed the parties to agree lengthier extensions of time, was extended. The simple answer is that it was not. The rule expired on 30th October 2020. MINUTES OF…
The judgment of Master Kaye in Beriwala v Woodstone Properties (Birmingham) Ltd & Anor [2021] EWHC 6 (Ch) provides a reminder that the inclusion of the claimant’s address on the claim form is a mandatory requirement [unless an application is…
The judgment of Master Clark in The Law Society of England and Wales (Solicitors Regulation Authority) v Sophie Khan & Co Ltd [2021] EWHC 2 (ChD) highlights the difficulties involved in proving, or disproving, that a document was delivered. In…
In SLF Associates Inc v (1) HSBC (UK) Bank Plc & Ors [2021] EWHC 5 (Ch) Master Kaye pointed out that taking photographs of participants in a remote court was unlawful. THE CASE The Master was giving judgment in a…
In April this year those practising in the Business and Property Courts will be subject to much more stringent requirements in relation to the preparation of witness statements relating to trial. The lawyer conducting the case will have to sign…
Last year we looked at the report of the Witness Evidence Working Group for the Business and Property Courts. This set out why changes were needed to the drafting of witness statements in those courts. Some of the proposals in…
A round up of posts and articles relating to civil procedure from November 2020. COSTS ACL – Definition of proportionality to be expanded to include vulnerability ACL – High Court upholds assessment of success fee in high-value clinical negligence case ACL – Supreme…
The previous post dealt with a case where a defendant succeeded on appeal because a claimant failed to establish causation. It is interesting to look at actions where this issue of causation has been considered. In Chisholm v D & R Hankins…
The judgment of Mrs Justice Foster in Norfolk County Council v Durrant [2020] EWHC 3590 (QB) illustrates how it is essential for a claimant to prove causation in a case based on negligence. It also highlights the need to consider,…
Needless to say this has been an unusual year for litigators. It is always interesting to review what have been the most popular posts on this blog and look at some facts and figures. Can we tell anything about the…
REVIEW OF CIVIL PROCEDURE IN 2020 2: BEST WRITING ON CIVIL PROCEDURE DURING THE YEAR: TWO WISE KINGS
This year saw a explosion of legal writing as everyone had to get to grips with the procedural mayhem that resulted in lockdown. This is an appropriate time to pay tribute to all those who wrote. Some of the best…
My lawyers of the year for 2020 both embodied everything that is good about the legal profession. Both cared about the law; both wrote about the law and were involved in informing and educating others ; both performed the, extremely…
The judgment of Mr Justice Calver in Ipsum Capital Ltd v Lyall & Ors [2020] EWHC 3508 (Comm) shows the dangers of serving documents by email. The judge held that service of a defence by email was not good service…
I am grateful to Paul Wainwright for sending me a copy of the judgment of District Judge Baldwin in Godfrey -v- Automotive Products Limited (17th December 2020). This decision, by the regional costs judge, considers whether a claimant in a…
This year has been a boom year for the “opening lines of a judgment” contest. The search has gone international and these opening lines tell us much about the legal world, and life, in 2020. There are so many good…
In Nur & Anor, R (On the Application Of) v Birmingham City Council [2020] EWHC 3526 (Admin) Mr David Lock QC (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) commented on the failure of the defendant council to comply with the…
With more than a little help from my friends the winning entry of the 2020 Legal Christmas Music Contest has been recorded and is available for everyone to see and hear (and join in) on YouTube. THE WINNER The song…
The judgment of HHJ Keyser QC in Arag Plc v Jones & Anor [2020] EWHC 3484 (Comm) is, on the face of it, a technical issue about the right of an insurer to claim a contribution. The key issue here,…
Citizens Advice offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. Through our national network of charities, we give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and…
In Secretary of State for Business Energy And Industrial Strategy v Evans & Anor [2020] EWHC 3519 (Ch) (18 December 2020) Deputy Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Baister had something to say about the absence of plain language in the…
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