AN ORDER FOR WASTED COSTS NARROWLY AVERTED – BUT THERE WERE ISSUES ON BOTH SIDES: “NONE OF THE LEGAL PROFESSIONALS IN THIS CASE HAVE COVERED THEMSELVES WITH GLORY”
This is a case where the judge found the conduct of a firm of solicitors “utterly extraordinary”. However there were, in fact, a number of errors by both sides. This may (and probably would) have led to a wasted costs…
COST BITES 432: THE COURT CANNOT ALTER THE COSTS BUDGET UNLESS THERE ARE “SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS” : HIGH COURT DECISION
This case reiterates the essential point that the court has no freestanding discretion to vary a costs budget. An essential prerequisite of variation is that there must be a “significant development” that warrants a variation. There was no such development…
SERVICE POINTS 53: HOW DOES THE COURT PROTECT THE POSITION OF A PARTY WHO WANTS TO APPEAL DECISION IN RELATION TO JURISDICTION BUT RISKS “ACCEPTING” JURISDICTION IN THE MEANTIME? A PUZZLE SOLVED BY THE COURT OF APPEAL
This judgment highlights the risk that a party who wishes to dispute jurisdiction can accidentally accept it. What, if any, steps should the courts take to protect an appellant in these circumstances. The litigant may wish to appeal to a…
SHOULD AN ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGES GO AHEAD PENDING AN APPEAL? £8 MILLION COSTS COULD HELP AVOID £45 MILLION: THE TRIAL COULD MATERIALLY ADVANCE THE LITIGATION AND NARROW FUTURE DISPUTES
Here the court considered whether an assessment of damages should be stayed pending the claimants’ application for permission to appeal. This raised issues in relation to costs management and proportionality. The judge engaged in an exercise of looking at the…
FAILING TO GIVE THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND BELIEF IN A WITNESS STATEMENT: THE JUDGE MAY THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON HERE…
There is, it appears, no end to the number of cases in which non-compliant witness statements are served. We have another example here. One major issue relates to the failure to give the source of information and belief for the…
BACK TO BASICS MONDAY: THE 70 KEY POINTS OF THE DENTON JUDGMENT: REVISITING THE BASICS AFTER TWELVE YEARS…
It is now twelve years since the judgment in Denton -v- White [2014] EWCA Civ 906. However it is still a judgment that appears regularly in the reports (we will be looking at such a case this week). Over the years…
ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN 5: AN APPLICATION FOR RECOVERY OF MONEY PAID TO ENFORCEMENT AGENT DISMISSED: IT WAS TOO LATE AND MISCONCEIVED IN ANY EVENT
There are several issues in the case of general importance, particularly for those seeking to challenge Enforcement Agents. Firstly as to the strict timetable involved; secondly as to what constitutes “controlled goods” and finally as to the appropriate means for…
THE CURRENT IMPORTANCE OF PLEADINGS 87: A CLAIM CAN BE STRUCK OUT ON AN ANALYSIS OF THE PLEADED CASE
This judgment confirms a decision to strike out a case on the basis of inadequate pleadings. It emphasises the fact that there is no need to wait for a defence to be filed before such an application is heard. It…
COST BITES 427: WHEN A SOLICITOR ABANDONS AN ASSESSMENT: PERSONAL LIABILITY AND INDEMNITY COSTS FOLLOW
We have looked before at these cases relating to the assessment of costs in the pelvic mesh actions. So far as the assessments were concerned nothing much has happened for several years. Here we look at the consequences of this….
COURT REFUSES PERMISSION TO CHANGE NAME OF THE CLAIMANT AFTER THE EXPIRY OF THE LIMITATION PERIOD: THE DANGERS OF LEAVING THINGS LATE
Many of the “problem” cases we look at on this blog have similar themes. Leaving the issue of proceedings until the last possible moment and then compounding that by leaving service until the last minute. This case has an additional…
A QUICK REMINDER OF THE CLB WEBINARS NOW AVAILABLE “ON DEMAND”: ALSO (AND UNRELATED) SAYING AU REVOIR TO THE LITTLE WHITE DOG
There are a number of CLB webinars that are available “on demand”. There is a reduction for CLB members. This is also an opportune time to say au revoir to the little white dog that has been gracing the pages…
A PARTY CANNOT ADVANCE ONE CASE IN ONE SET OF PROCEEDINGS AND THE OPPOSITE CASE IN ANOTHER: ESTOPPEL BY CONDUCT LEADS TO A COUNTERCLAIM BEING STRUCK OUT: COURT OF APPEAL DECISION
Here we have a case where the Court of Appeal struck out a counterclaim. The defendant had argued one set of facts in Employment Tribunal proceedings and sought to argue a totally different version. The Court was not best pleased…
COST BITES 426: COURT OF APPEAL OVERTURNS DECISION THAT A CLAIMANT IN THE SMALL CLAIMS TRACK SHOULD PAY COSTS AFTER DISCONTINUING: “THE SMALL CLAIMS TRACK IS DESIGNED TO BE DIFFERENT”
This case gives a clear message from the Court of Appeal about the critical importance of the “costs neutral” status of the Small Claims Track. The judgment makes it clear that the starting point is that costs are not recoverable…
SHOULD UNDUE DELAY AND “GROVIT” ABUSE LEAD TO AN ACTION BEING STRUCK OUT UNLESS THERE ARE COMPELLING REASONS NO TO DO SO? THE COURT OF APPEAL CONSIDER THE ISSUES
This is an important decision by the Court of Appeal on how the court should respond to an abuse of process caused by delay. The answer is that this kind of abuse is treated similarly to other types of abuse….
BACK TO BASICS MONDAY: WHAT DOCUMENTS NEED TO BE IN AN APPEAL BUNDLE? A JUDGMENT ON THAT VERY POINT:”DOCUMENTS GENUINELY REQUIRED FOR DETERMINATION OF THE APPEAL”
Over the years we have seen many dozens of cases where judges have been critical of the contents of bundles. I cannot recall a case where a judge has determined the contents in advance. We now have an example here. …
COST BITES 424: A CLAIM FOR 30.5 HOURS IN ONE DAY: A SCHEDULE “SO UNRELIABLE IT CANNOT FORM THE BASIS FOR ASSESSMENT”
We have seen many issues in relation to schedules over the years. Here the judge considered a schedule that claimed for one person working more than 24 hours in a day. “Some of those hours are, on the face of…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: GESTMIN GUIDANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE CASES (WITH A CHANCE TO REMEMBER HH ALAN GORE K.C.) : JULY 2019
Here we look at a post from July 2019. It gives me a chance to remember the judge in question HH Alan Gore who sadly died in December last year. This is one of his judgments about the Gestmin criteria…
COST BITES 421 : THE AMY WINEHOUSE CASE IS BACK IN COURT: CLAIMANT’S AGGRESSIVE CONDUCT OF A CASE WHERE HE LOST “ON EVERY MATERIAL POINT OF FACT AND LAW” LEADS TO AN ORDER FOR INDEMNITY COSTS TO PAY COSTS ON THE INDEMNITY BASIS
We are looking at another case where the claimant’s conduct of the case has led to costs being awarded on an indemnity basis. The judgment is clear that the claimant deliberately adopted an aggressive case which had no factual merit…
SERVICE POINTS 51: HIGH COURT REFUSES TO SET ASIDE AN ORDER ALLOWING SERVICE BY EMAIL ON THE DEFENDANT’S SOLICITORS
In this case the defendant, a judgment debtor, attempted to set aside an order that a claim form could be served by email on their solicitors. The situation was an unusual one in that the claimant had a judgment against…
TWO PROCEDURAL POINTS TO WATCH: GIVING REMOTE EVIDENCE FROM ABROAD: SEEKING COSTS BEFORE THE FIRST-TIER TRIBUNAL
Here we are looking “preliminary matters” in a judgment that highlight two procedural issues. One of them is of general relevance, the other more specific but still of significance, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with procedure in the General…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY: LARGE PARTS OF THE CLAIMANT’S WITNESS STATEMENTS ARE STRUCK OUT: “INADMISSIBLE AS A MATTER OF LAW” “OF MARGINAL RELEVANCE” AND DEAL WITH “WHOLLY COLLATERAL ISSUES”
Here we have a case where the court was asked to exclude large parts of a party’s witness statements. That application was successful in part. The judge finding that many of the statements, or parts of the statements, were simply…
COST BITES 419: HOW CLAIMING COUNSEL’S FEES ON AN N260 CAN LEAD TO REFERRAL TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT PROCEEDINGS TO BE CONSIDERED: SIGNATORY BEWARE
Cost Schedules are signed and served every day. This case shows why they must be checked carefully before signature. Here the judge found that a claim made for counsel’s fees on an N260 had been false. This was one of…
SEEKING A STAY PENDING AN APPEAL: “GENERALISED ASSERTIONS ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EVIDENCE”: COURT REFUSES APPLICATION
This judgment emphasises the point that a party seeking a stay of a judgment cannot obtain this by “generalised assertions”. There are clear and well established criteria for the court to consider. A party making such an application must make …
SERVICE POINTS 50: IS SERVICE OF A TENANT AND AN ADDRESS STATED IN THE LEASE GOOD SERVICE WHEN THE TENANT IS NOT THERE? DOES THE CONTRACT OVERRIDE THE CPR?
This Court of Appeal decision considers issues in relation to contractual service. Does a contractual term in a lease saying that service of documents can take place at the property in question override the CPR provisions as to service? In…
LATE WITNESS STATEMENTS, RELIEF FROM SANCTIONS (OR NOT…) AND THE COURT OF APPEAL CONSIDERS “WHAT IS A TRIAL?”: THE DEFINITION PROVES TO BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS APPELLANT…
One of the key factors in this Court of Appeal judgment was the meaning of the word “trial”. Curiously this is not defined in the rules and has only been considered in two previous cases. The issue was important…
EXPERT WATCH 63: WHEN A DOCTOR WRITES TO THE COURT AND THE JUDGE FINDS THE INFORMATION “UNRELIABLE”
There have been a number of cases where the courts have considered letters, or less formal “reports”, provided by doctors to support elements of a litigant’s case, usually in relation to an application for adjournment or procedural issue. There was…
A BOOK ABOUT SERVICE (AT LONG LAST): WHAT IS MORE IT IS IMPRESSIVE, COMPREHENSIVE AND FILLS A GAP IN THE MARKET (AND, THIS BLOG’S PART IN ITS CREATION)
Regular readers will know that this blog features a lot of cases about service of the claim form. It is one of the most common problem areas in litigation. It is surprising that there has not been a recent text…
THE RULES ARE CHANGING: ADVANCE NOTICE: GOODBYE TO THE CHANCERY DIVISION
A whole raft of changes come into force on the 1st October. The most noticeable will be that the Chancery Division disappears. There is also an end to the “presumption” that costs management takes place by telephone. Also note the…
SERVICE POINTS 49: THE JUDGE WOULD HAVE SET ASIDE AN ORDER EXTENDING TIME FOR SERVICE OF THE CLAIM FORM: IT COULD HAVE BEEN SERVED WITHOUT THE PARTICULARS OF CLAIM
This is another case that emphasises the importance of serving the claim form promptly. The claimants had obtained an order extending time for service. The defendants applied to set aside that order. The judge stated that, if the issue had…
EXPERT WATCH 60: THE JUDGE’S ASSESSMENT OF THE EXPERTS IN THE DIESEL EMISSIONS CASE: AN EXHAUSTING TRIAL?
We are looking here at a major case where the claimants were heavily reliant on expert evidence. They way in which the judge viewed the experts was crucial. This was not a case where the judge found fault with the…
CAN THE WAY IN WHICH A CLAIMANT HAS CONDUCTED A CASE MEAN THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE SUMMARY JUDGMENT: “CLEAN HANDS” AND OTHER EQUITABLE MAXIMS CONSIDERED
We are looking at an unusual set of arguments here. The defendant, in resisting an application for summary judgment, submitted that the way in which the claimant had conducted the litigation itself meant the court should not grant judgment. It…
BACK TO BASICS MONDAY: EXPERT WITNESSES HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME MATERIAL: THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
The post earlier this morning set out the judge’s reservations about the nature of the information given to the claimant’s experts. In particular the failure to give the sources of their information. In fact the requirements go further than that. …
MAZUR MATTERS 65 (YES THEY ARE STILL CROPPING UP…): WAS A COMPANY SUING FOR A DEBT IT HAD PURCHASED BREACHING THE LEGAL SERVICES ACT?
Here we are looking at an argument that a company, that had purchased a debt and issued proceedings, was breaching the Legal Services Act. The argument was forcibly put and, just as forcibly, rejected. The judge was clear that a…
“I HAD NEVER COME ACROSS A CASE IN WHICH SO LITTLE RESPECT HAD BEEN PAID TO THE COURT”: INACCURATE TIME ESTIMATES; OVER-LENGTHY SKELETONS; ENORMOUS BUNDLES (OH AND AN ATTITUDE OF “WE’LL COME INTO COURT WHEN WE WANT TO”…): I CAN’T RECALL JUDICIAL CRITICISM MUCH STRONGER THAN THIS,
Over the years we have looked at some fairly “vigorous” judicial criticisms of litigators and non-compliance with procedural requirements. This case contains some of the the most vigorous I have seen. The judge points to wholesale failures by both sides…
WE HAD SUCH A HOPELESS CASE WE SHOULDN’T PAY ALL THE COSTS BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE APPLIED TO STRIKE US OUT: ARGUMENTS WITH AN “AIR OF UNREALITY” ABOUT THEM
A post yesterday looked at two cases where attempts were made to attribute some blame to a litigant’s opponents for not spotting certain issues arising from that litigant’s own conduct. Here we look at a case where this type of…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY: WHEN DOES A WITNESS BECOMES A “HOSTILE WITNESS”? WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?
Earlier this week we looked at a case where a judge allowed the claimants’ application for an order that one of the witnesses they had called be declared a “hostile witness”. This meant that the claimants could then cross-examine their…
BACK TO BASICS MONDAY: THE PERILS OF ISSUING A SECOND TIME: CPR 38.7 EXPLORED: NOTE THE NEED FOR SPEED…
We looked at a case last week which was a “second action” against the same defendants. It was struck out on several grounds, one of which was under CPR 38.7. It is worthwhile looking at the rule in detail …
THE CURRENT IMPORTANCE OF PLEADINGS 86: DEFENDANT REFUSED PERMISSION TO AMEND DEFENCE ON THE MORNING OF TRIAL
Here we look at what can only be described as a “very late” application to amend a defence. It was made on the morning of the first day of trial. Surprisingly there was no explanation as to why an application…
COST BITES 411: NON-PARTY COSTS ORDER MADE AGAINST CLAIMANT’S DIRECTOR : HE WHO EXPECTS TO BENEFIT RUNS A RISK OF PAYING THE COSTS…
This case considers the issue of whether it was appropriate to make a non-party costs order. The Master reached a clear conclusion that it was. The individual in question was effectively the driving force behind the litigation in addition to…
THE TCC GUIDANCE ON THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: A DETAILED EXAMINATION
The section on the use of AI in the latest edition of The Technology and Construction Court Guide is relatively short. However it is significant. It shows that the courts recognise that AI is going to be used. “All legal…
NEW (4th) EDITION OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND CONSTRUCTION COURT GUIDE 2026: A QUICK GUIDE TO THE CHANGES AND THE NEW PARTS
The Fourth Edition of the Technology and Construction Court Guide came into force on 1 July 2026. It is much more than a routine update. Whilst much of the familiar structure remains, there are significant additions reflecting changes in legislation,…
A JUDGE SHOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED A DEFENDANT TENANT SPEAKING AT A POSSESSION HEARING JUST BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT FILED A DEFENCE: THE CIVIL PROCEDURE RULES HAVE PRIMACY OVER A PEREMPTORY ORDER
I am grateful to barrister James Stark for sending me a copy of this judgment which is important to all those involved in landlord and tenant litigation, but also raises interesting issues as to how far an order of the…
WITNESS EVIDENCE WEDNESDAY: WHEN A LITIGATOR MAKES A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THEIR CLIENT: A USEFUL CHECKLIST ON THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND BELIEF
We have looked several times recently at the problems caused when a litigator serves their own witness evidence on behalf of a client, particularly a “corporate” client. It often turns out that large parts of this statement are inadmissible, consisting…
COST BITES 411: HOW DOES A COURT DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF AN INTERIM PAYMENT AS TO COSTS WHEN THE CASE HAS NOT BEEN BUDGETED? SHOULD A PAYMENT BE ORDERED AT ALL?
Knowledge of the principles dealing with payments on account is important for all litigators. For successful parties it is a major aid in relation to cash flow. For the losing party a payment on account will reduce the interest payable. …
WHERE THINGS GO WRONG IN LITIGATION (AND STOPPING IT HAPPENING TO YOU) 4: NOT-SERVING PROPERLY; OBTAINING DEFAULT JUDGEMENT INCORRECTLY AND SUING A PARTY WRONGLY: A LOT OF LESSONS HERE
This post assumes that you have read post on this case earlier today. A claimant’s solicitor made a whole series of errors which led to the case being struck out against two defendants. We continue our series on what went…
SERVICE POINTS 48 : A DEFAULT JUDGMENT IN THE FIRST ACTION (AGAINST A DEFENDANT WHO WAS NEVER SERVED) LEADS TO A SECOND ACTION BEING STRUCK OUT
This is a sorry tale. Someone who may have had a perfectly good claim for damages for personal injury has their case struck out because of procedural mishaps by their own solicitors. It all stems from a failure to serve…
COST BITES 409: A PART 36 CASE TO FINISH OFF THE WEEK: CLAIM £8.4 MILLION GET £102,000 (HAVING TURNED DOWN AN OFFER OF £3.175 MILLION): IT IS NOT “UNJUST” FOR THE CLAIMANT TO FACE TO NORMAL PART 36 CONSEQUENCES, NOR WOULD THE COURT “PICK AND CHOOSE” IN RELATION TO THE COSTS PAYABLE
If ever a case served as a warning to the risks of litigation it is this one. The claimant sought damages of up to £8.4 million but obtained judgment of £102,000. This turned out to be expensive litigation, with the…
COST BITES 408: WHO (IF ANYONE) SHOULD PAY THE COSTS WHEN THE COURT MAKES NO DECISION ON THE SUBSTANTIVE ISSUE?
In this case the judge considered an argument that a claimant who made, but failed, in an application for an interim injunction should not necessarily be liable for costs. This argument was put forward on the basis that the court…
THROWBACK FRIDAY: “WHICH WITNESS WILL BE BELIEVED? IS IT ALL A LOTTERY? (JULY 2014): ISSUES OF WITNESS CREDIBILITY CONSIDERED
This week we go back 12 years to look at one of the recurring themes of this blog: witness credibility. We looked at a judgment which was all about the judge’s assessment of the witnesses. This was made more difficult…
A SOLICITOR SHOULD JUST NOT BE SAYING THIS IN A WITNESS STATEMENT: IT “STRAYED WELL BEYOND WHAT SHE COULD LEGALLY GIVE EVIDENCE ABOUT FROM HER OWN KNOWLEDGE INCLUDED HEARSAY FROM AN UNNAMED SOURCE AND INCLUDED STATEMENTS OF OPINION WHICH SHE DID NOT HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO GIVE…”
There are numerous cases reported on this blog where judges have been critical of the “evidence” given by solicitors in witness statements. In many cases, even on cursory examination, it transpires that the lawyer is not in a position to…
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