DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU COULD BE MADE BANKRUPT (OSTENSIBLY ON YOUR OWN APPLICATION), NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT – AND THEN HAVE TO PAY THE TRUSTEE’S COSTS? THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING KEY EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COURT
This is an unusual case. The appellant here had been made bankrupt, ostensibly on her own petition. She knew nothing about it. Despite this the court would not annul the bankruptcy until provision was made for payment of the Trustee’s…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: A CASE WHERE THE SOLICITORS’ EVIDENCE (OF THEIR OWN) LOSS WAS “WHOLLY INADEQUATE” (OCTOBER 2017)
The “Proving Things” series has recently passed number 300. A large number of the posts in that series are about a failure to prove things. We have here a claim brought by a firm of solicitors where the judge observed…
ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN 6: BEING SIGNED OFF WORK DOES NOT MEAN UNABLE TO ATTEND COURT: SUSPENDED COMMITTAL ORDER MADE AGAINST JUDGMENT DEBTOR (CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE AND PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATORS YOU MAY WANT TO READ THIS AS WELL…)
It is rare for a clinical negligence claimant to be involved in issues relating to the enforcement of judgments. We have an example here. Ironically enough it is also an example of inadequate medical evidence being presented in an an…
PROVING THINGS 301 : CAN AN APPLICANT IN COMMITTAL PROCEEDINGS RELY UPON A JUDGMENT GIVEN AT TRIAL? WHAT WEIGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO IT?
It is always interesting to see the sequel of cases we have looked at earlier. We have an example here. We looked at this case in the context of a finding of fundamental d dishonesty. Different issues arise in relation…
EXPERT WATCH 79: WHEN A LITIGANT INSTRUCTS AN EXPERT AND THEN SEEKS PERMISSION TO RELY ON THEM: MIXED RESULTS
A party instructing an expert without obtaining permission from the court in advance runs a risk. Considerable expenditure can be incurred and yet the court may refuse permission. However, on occasions, it is necessary to actually have the report to…
EXPERT WATCH 78 : “ROWING BACK”?: WHEN AN EXPERT CHANGES THEIR VIEW AFTER THE JOINT REPORT: “THAT IS NOT THE FAIR OR PROPER WAY FOR PUTTING NEW EXPERT EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COURT”
Here we look at a case where an expert essentially changed their mind after a joint report. Although the expert stated that he had not “rowed back” the judge was clear that there had been a change of view and…
THIRD PARTY DISCLOSURE SHORTLY BEFORE TRIAL: “WHAT ONE PERSON REGARDS AS OPPORTUNISM MIGHT EQUALLY WELL BE ANOTHER PERSON’S CREATIVE LAWYERING”
This is a case about a late application for third party disclosure. The order was granted despite the trial date being imminent. The respondents complained of “opportunism” the judge observed that this may well be described as “creative lawyering”. “…litigation…
COST BITES 465 : WITHOUT PREJUDICE COSTS BREAKDOWNS REMAINED PRIVILEGED: A LOWER BILL DID NOT ESTABLISH “UNAMBIGUOUS IMPROPRIETY”
This judgment given today highlights some dangers in sending “without prejudice” bills of costs at an early stage. The paying party can (understandably) be suspicious when a later bill comes at a lower figure. The reasons for this need not…
PROVING THINGS 300: COMPANY FAILS TO PROVE ITS OWN FINANCIAL SITUATION: APPLICATION FOR A STAY REFUSED
A major theme of this series has been a failure by litigants to put evidence before the court to establish their case. That is a feature of this case. The defendant company was arguing that its own financial position was…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: “STAYING SANE AS A LITIGATOR: THINGS WILL GO WRONG: “YOU GOTTA HAVE A PLAN”: DON’T CRASH…” (OCTOBER 2019)
Today we go back to a post in October 2019. It was part of a series of posts about “staying sane as a litigator”. This was the fifth in the series and makes the point that things go wrong in…
IF YOU CAN’T PROVE IT THEN YOU DON’T GET IT: LIFE IS REALLY THAT SIMPLE: WEBINAR ON PROVING DAMAGES: 22nd OCTOBER 2026
We have looked many times on this blog at cases where litigants have simply failed to prove things. There have been numerous occasions when this relates to a failure to prove damages. This webinar looks at how litigators can avoid…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY (ii): THE DEFENDANT’S WITNESS HAD NO FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE ISSUES, KEY DOCUMENTS AND KEY WITNESSES WERE NOT PRESENT
Here we look at another case where witness evidence was found wanting. Again this is because of a failure to identify the source of information or belief. This was coupled with the fact that crucial witnesses who could give first…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY (1): THE ABSENCE OF FIRST-HAND EVIDENCE LEADS TO THE CLAIMANT’S APPLICATION FOR AN INJUNCTION BEING REFUSED
There have been numerous cases over the years which highlight the dangers of first hand evidence not being made available to the court. It is often the case that statements are provided by those who have no first hand knowledge…
WHAT HAS CIVIL LITIGATION BRIEF DONE ABOUT …. PREVENTING PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN LITIGATION? 10 KEY POINTS
The use of Artificial Intelligence by the legal profession is now a fact of life. The genie will not go back into that particular bottle. However, as we have seen many times on this blog, it can lead to profound…
HOW SHOULD A CLAIMANT RESPOND TO THE COUNTER-SCHEDULE? WEBINAR 14th OCTOBER 2026
A great deal of the claimant lawyer’s time is spent considering and building a case on damages. However it is sensible for the lawyer to stop and think how realistic the claim for damages is. One of the best means…
PROVING THINGS 299 : DISCLOSURE FAILURES, MISSING DOCUMENTS AND THE RELIABILITY OF WITNESS EVIDENCE: THE CONSEQUENCES AT TRIAL
This is a case that demonstrates the importance of disclosure and the dangers of failing to preserve, or positively destroying, documentary evidence in a civil case. The judge found the (first) defendant’s conduct in that regard was extremely telling. Much…
EXPERT WATCH 77 : YOU CANNOT WAIT UNTIL TRIAL TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF EXPERT EVIDENCE (PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU HAVE EARLIER SAID IT WAS UNNECESSARY)
Here we have a case where the defendants, in a skeleton argument for trial, argued that the claimants could not succeed because they had to expert evidence to support their case for breach of duty. That submission was roundly rejected…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: WITNESS STATEMENTS AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND BELIEF: 10 KEY POINTS THAT LITIGATORS SHOULD KNOW: A JUDGE MAKE GET A BIT IRKED IF YOU TRY TO USURP THEIR ROLE (OCTOBER 2018)
We are going back eight years and looking at another highly familiar theme – non-compliant witness statements. We have another example earlier today in the blog. . We are looking at a post from October 2018. This post pre-dated PD…
PROVING THINGS 298: CLAIMANT BANK FAILS TO PROVE ITS CASE EVEN THOUGH ONE DEFENDANT WAS DEBARRED FROM DEFENDING: VERIFIED PLEADINGS AND DOCUMENTARY COMMENTARY WERE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROOF
Here we have a case where the claimant failed to prove its case seeking approximately US$9.6 million.” even when one of the defendants was debarred from defending. Relying on signed statements of case, inferential evidence from witness statements and comments…
STRIKING OUT AND ABUSE OF PROCESS: WHEN EARLIER ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS DO NOT PREVENT A SUBSEQUENT CLAIM: AND YOU CANNOT SIMPLY BYPASS CPR PART 24
There are some cases that have the flavour of a legal question posed by a law lecturer who is anxious to stretch their students to the limit. This is one of those cases, involving (alleged) abuse of process, separate corporate…
WHAT HAS CIVIL LITIGATION BRIEF DONE ABOUT … THE “AUTHENTICITY” OF DOCUMENTS (OR OTHERWISE)? TEN KEY POINTS FOR PRACTITIONERS CONSIDERING THE RISKS POSED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The post earlier this morning where the Upper Tribunal considered the problems with very authentic looking documents being produced by Artificial Intelligence is illustrative of a very real problem for civil practitioners. The judgment contains a timely reminder that documents…
FALSE DOCUMENTS, LATE EVIDENCE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: A WHOLE HOST OF ISSUES THAT MAKE JUDICIAL LIFE MORE DIFFICULT…
Much of the discussion in relation to Artificial Intelligence to date has related to its ability to “hallucinate” false cases. However it can also be used to create extremely realistic false documents. This is an issue considered by the judges…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY: WHAT DO YOU DO IF A WITNESS FINDS A MISTAKE IN THEIR STATEMENT?
What steps should be taken if a witness has identified an error in their witness statement? Does it matter if that is an error of fact in relation to the matters described or a significant omission? Here we review the…
ARE YOU SURE WHO IS REALLY INSTRUCTING YOU? SOLICITORS DECEIVED BY A FALSE EMAIL ADDRESS IN NAOMI CAMPBELL’S CASE
We have recently been looking at a few cases that have made the headlines. However we examine them from a particular CLB point of view – that is are there any practical lessons for working litigators? There are some interesting…
PROVING THINGS 297 : THE COURT OF APPEAL OVERTURNED A FINDING THAT A SOLICITOR WAS DISHONEST: RECKLESSNESS AND CUTTING CORNERS ARE NOT THE SAME AS DISHONESTY
There are cases where a party has to prove dishonesty. This can be a difficult task, as this case shows. The test is very different to negligence or recklessness. The failure to address this test fully led to the overturning…
WHAT HAS CIVIL LITIGATION BRIEF DONE ABOUT… APPLYING FOR PERMISSION TO RELY ON EXPERT EVIDENCE ? A GUIDE FOR APPLICANTS: 10 KEY POINTS WITH USEFUL LINKS
A post yesterday dealt with an unsuccessful application to rely on expert evidence. This is an opportune moment to review the steps that a party seeking to rely on expert evidence should take. In the interest of balance a later…
EXPERT WATCH 76 : EXPERT EVIDENCE MAY ASSIST, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS REASONABLY REQUIRED: PERMISSION REFUSED IN AN APPEAL WORTH TENS OF MILLIONS
We are looking at a case where the tribunal considered whether a party should be granted permission to rely on expert evidence. The judge went back to first principles to consider the issue. It was a high value case with…
EXPERT WATCH 75: A CASE REPLETE WITH EXPERT ISSUES: A FAILURE TO PREPARE A JOINT REPORT PLUS THE CLAIMANT CREATES DIFFICULTIES FOR ITSELF WHEN IT DOES NOT ASK ITS EXPERT TO REPORT ON POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE OUTCOMES
This is the second post on experts today. Here we are in a very different context – the law of dilapidations. This is an area that often requires expert input. In this case we see manifold problems with the way…
WHAT HAS CIVIL LITIGATION BRIEF DONE ABOUT … PROVING DAMAGES: 10 KEY POINTS AND LOTS OF RELEVANT LINKS
The post earlier this morning identifying a case, from 2015, where a claimant failed to prove any damages, highlighted the need for a recap on this topic. There are a large number of posts on this very topic. In the…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: “PROVING THINGS BY EVIDENCE: SUCH A QUAINT, OLD FASHIONED CONCEPT” (OCTOBER 2015)
Here we look at an issue that has given rise to numerous posts on this site over the years – a party fails to prove an essential element of their case. Here the failed to adduce evidence that they had…
AI AND CIVIL JUSTICE: PREPARING FOR THE TSUNAMI – LORD BRIGGS ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE, PROCEDURAL RULES AND THE HUMAN JUDGE
Issues relating to the use of AI continue to “interest” the legal profession. They also interest judges. Here I summarise Lord Briggs’ Keynote Address to the Oxford Civil Justice Systems in the 21st Century Conference. “… if human judges want…
MILLIONS OF DOCUMENTS, 27 FACTUAL WITNESSES AND THE ASSESSMENT OF CREDIBILITY: WITNESS EVIDENCE IN THE MANCHESTER CITY PROCEEDINGS
Yesterday we looked at an issue in the news to review questions of witness credibility. We do the same today in a wholly different context: football and the decision in the proceedings brought against Manchester City Football Club. However we…
GUIDE TO FATAL ACCIDENTS 5th EDITION: PUBLISHED LATER THIS YEAR: AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER
The latest (the 5th) edition of the Guide to Fatal Accidents is now available to pre-order. Details are available here. Fatal accident litigation presents lawyers with legal, evidential and practical problems that are distinct from those encountered in non-fatal…
WHAT HAS CIVIL LITIGATION BRIEF DONE ABOUT … HOUSING LAW, COSTS AND PROCEDURE: 10 KEY POINTS AND USEFUL LINKS
There are much more specialist blogs available for housing lawyers and I’m glad to say that “Nearly Legal” is recommencing next month. The posts on this site concentrate on procedure and costs and the Ten Key Points here reflect that. …
INTERIM PAYMENTS: THE EXISTENCE OF DISPUTED DEFENCES AND COUNTERCLAIMS DID NOT PREVENT AN AWARD OF £1.4 MILLION
Lord Denning once observed of Cashflow that “It is the very lifeblood of the enterprise”. This remains the case for most modern businesses. In this respect an application for an interim payment can be a powerful tool. Sometimes essential to…
EXPERT WATCH 73: AN “AD HOMINEM ATTACK” ON A PARTY’S EXPERT FAILS TO IMPRESS THE JUDGE
The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court is usually the most genteel of courts particularly when it comes to the treatment of expert evidence. That is one of the reasons this judgment comes as somewhat of a surprise. The strategy adopted in…
BACK TO BASICS MONDAY: DOCUMENTS ARE ADMISSIBLE WHEN THEY ARE IN AN AGREED TRIAL OR APPLICATION BUNDLE BUT…
Agreeing a trial or application bundle can have consequences that are easy to overlook. Documents in an agreed bundle are usually admissible as evidence of their contents. That does not mean that the parties agree that everything written in them…
EXPERT WATCH 72: THE DEFENDANT HAD LEFT IT TOO LATE TO OBJECT TO THE CLAIMANTS’ EXPERT EVIDENCE: THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE AT TRIAL NOT AT THE APPEAL STAGE
If a party is going to object to their opponents relying on expert evidence this is best done promptly. Leaving it to the appeal stage is dangers – as this case shows. The defendant received a report, commented on the…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: FOR WANT OF A PAGE IN A BUNDLE THE DAMAGES WERE LOWER… (SEPTEMBER 2015)
Here we look at a post from 2015 about a missing page in a trial bundle. The claimant argued that the missing page meant that damages had been too low. The judge held that that an application the day after…
COST BITES 457: COURT REFUSES APPLICATION TO MAKE LEGAL INSURERS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS OF ASSESSMENT: (WHY COSTS LAWYERS HAVE TO KNOW THE LAW OF EVIDENCE – PARTICULARLY IF THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE ALLEGATIONS RELATING TO CONDUCT)
Here we look at a highly unusual allegation. Two of the claimants (the paying parties) and the defendants sought an order making their ATE insurer solely responsible for the costs of the assessment process. This application was supported by “evidence”…
WHAT HAS CIVIL LITIGATION BRIEF DONE ABOUT … PLEADING DAMAGES? A 10 POINT CHECKLIST TO AVOID YOUR CLIENTS (AND YOU…) GETTING INTO DIFFICULTIES…
The two posts earlier today on the judgment in Amaal Ventures Ltd v Eros Ltd looked at problems arising because of a failure to plead damages. This is not an new issue. Here we use the CLB archive to provide…
PROPORTIONALITY AND LITIGATION (3): WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOUR OPPONENT IS BEHAVING DISPROPORTIONATELY?
The previous post in this series looked at cases where the parties had “drifted” into disproportionate conduct and costs. However we should not be naive. Some litigants, and some litigators, will expressly threaten to run up costs as a litigation…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY: WAIVING LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE BY MENTIONING IT IN A WITNESS STATEMENT
Issues of legal professional privilege have been in the news this week. This makes it an opportune time to revisit those cases where litigants have inadvertently waived privilege by mentioning legal advice in witness statements. “… there is a distinction…
PROPORTIONALITY AND LITIGATION (2): WHERE DOES IT ALL START TO GO WRONG? (AND HOW DO YOU AVOID IT?)
This short series on proportionality is aimed, primarily, at protecting the client and the lawyer. A client may be exposed to excessive costs and the lawyers get blamed for this. There are (it is to be hoped) few cases where…
THE SRA CANNOT COMPEL A SOLICITOR TO DISCLOSE A CLIENT’S PRIVILEGED DOCUMENTS: THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF LEGAL PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGE
This is an important case about legal professional privilege. The headline result is that the SRA have no power to override such privilege when carrying out an investigation. It also highlights the hurdles any party can face when seeking to…
A FITTING END TO THE BAYEUX THEMED WEEK: SHOULD FRANCE HAVE JURISDICTION IN THIS CASE? MORE ABOUT LAWYERS USING WITNESS STATEMENTS TO PUT FORWARD LEGAL ARGUMENTS (DO IT IF YOU WILL – BUT IT NEVER HELPS…)
Observant readers (and possibly the less observant ones) will have noticed that this week we have been paying homage to the arrival of the Bayeux Tapestry in the UK. It is fitting then that we end the week with a…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: “OFFICE GOSSIP PROVES NOTHING”: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND BELIEF” (SEPTEMBER 2016)
This post written a decade ago deals with a recurring point in litigation as we have already seen this week. The tendency of witnesses, and lawyers to allow witnesses, to give “evidence” in witness statements of matters on which they…
ADVISING THE CLIENT OF THE RISKS OF LITIGATION: TEN USEFUL CHECKLISTS COUPLED WITH THE RELEVANT LINKS
The previous post considered the nature of a solicitor’s duty in a conveyancing transaction. The judgment considered the nature of the solicitor’s duty to warn of risks. Here we pull together many posts and cases on advising on the risks…
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE NEWS 5 : WHY A SOLICITOR CAN BE NEGLIGENT, A CLAIMANT HONEST AND YET BE WHOLLY UNSUCCESSFUL IN A PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE ACTION
We are looking at a case which explores the limits of a solicitor’s duty of care. It relates to conveyancing, however there are many points of interest to litigators. Firstly in relation to the reason the case failed (the “duty…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY: THOSE WHO DRAFTED THE WITNESS STATEMENTS “HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT THE ROLE OF THE WITNESS STATEMENT IS”: A USEFUL CHECKLIST AND LINKS TO KEEP YOU ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW
Here we look at a case where the judge was extremely blunt in his critique of the way in which both parties had drafted the witness statements. The judgment was from a few years back. However we are looking at…
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