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Updates and Commentary on Civil Procedure, by Gordon Exall, Barrister, Kings Chambers
Browse: Home » Setting aside default judgment
MAZUR MATTERS 64: THE COURT REJECTS WOULD BE APPELLANT'S ARGUMENT THAT A CLAIMANT'S REPRESENTATIVE HAD NO RIGHT OF AUDIENCE

MAZUR MATTERS 64: THE COURT REJECTS WOULD BE APPELLANT’S ARGUMENT THAT A CLAIMANT’S REPRESENTATIVE HAD NO RIGHT OF AUDIENCE

July 10, 2026 · by gexall · in Appeals, Applications, Avoiding negligence claims, Civil Procedure, Members Content, Setting aside judgment

The Court considered a “Mazur” type argument in this application for permission to appeal. The appellant arguing that the claimant had never been lawfully represented at previous hearings. This argument did not get very far.  The judge indicated that, even…

AN APPLICATION TO SET A DEFAULT JUDGMENT ASIDE (2): CONSIDERATION OF "PROMPTNESS" WHEN NOTHING HAPPENED FOR A YEAR...

AN APPLICATION TO SET A DEFAULT JUDGMENT ASIDE (2): CONSIDERATION OF “PROMPTNESS” WHEN NOTHING HAPPENED FOR A YEAR…

June 24, 2026 · by gexall · in Applications, Avoiding negligence claims, Civil Procedure, Default judgment,, Members Content, Setting aside judgment

We are continuing our examination of the High Court judgment yesterday about setting aside a default judgment.  Here the judge considered the question of “promptness” in circumstances where the default judgment had been entered for a year before the application…

AN APPLICATION TO SET A DEFAULT JUDGMENT ASIDE (1): THE EVIDENCE AS TO THE MERITS: THE JUDGE SHOULD NOT HAVE CONDUCTED A "MINI TRIAL"

AN APPLICATION TO SET A DEFAULT JUDGMENT ASIDE (1): THE EVIDENCE AS TO THE MERITS: THE JUDGE SHOULD NOT HAVE CONDUCTED A “MINI TRIAL”

June 24, 2026 · by gexall · in Applications, Civil evidence, Civil Procedure, Default judgment,, Members Content, Setting aside judgment

A defendant applying to set aside a properly obtained default judgment has a number of hurdles to clear. The court will consider the “merits” of the proposed defence, the reason for the delay, “promptness” and then go on to consider…

SETTING ASIDE DEFAULT JUDGMENT: THE RELEVANCE OF DELAY AND THE DENTON PRINCIPLES CONSIDERED IN THE HIGH COURT

SETTING ASIDE DEFAULT JUDGMENT: THE RELEVANCE OF DELAY AND THE DENTON PRINCIPLES CONSIDERED IN THE HIGH COURT

April 9, 2026 · by gexall · in Applications, Civil evidence, Civil Procedure, Default judgment,, Members Content, Relief from sanctions, Setting aside judgment

For many years now we have been looking at the interaction between an application to set aside a default judgment and the “Denton” criteria.   Here we look at another case where the court considered relief from sanctions in this context. …

APPLYING TO SET ASIDE A DEFAULT JUDGMENT: WHAT IS MEANT BY "PROMPT"? THE ISSUES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL BY THE HIGH COURT

APPLYING TO SET ASIDE A DEFAULT JUDGMENT: WHAT IS MEANT BY “PROMPT”? THE ISSUES CONSIDERED IN DETAIL BY THE HIGH COURT

August 29, 2025 · by gexall · in Applications, Civil evidence, Civil Procedure, Members Content, Relief from sanctions, Setting aside judgment

When a court considers setting aside a regular default judgment it must have regard to whether the application was made “promptly”.  There is a consideration of that issue in the case we consider here.  There had been some delay in…

SERVICE POINTS 4:  DEFAULT JUDGMENT SET ASIDE: THE CONTRACTUAL METHOD OF SERVICE WAS UNFAIR AND THUS INVALID BECAUSE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015

SERVICE POINTS 4: DEFAULT JUDGMENT SET ASIDE: THE CONTRACTUAL METHOD OF SERVICE WAS UNFAIR AND THUS INVALID BECAUSE OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONSUMER RIGHTS ACT 2015

August 28, 2025 · by gexall · in Applications, Civil evidence, Civil Procedure, Members Content, Service of the claim form, Serving documents, Setting aside judgment

There are relatively few cases relating to service of proceedings by a contractually agreed method.  We have some significant issues considered in this case. Firstly whether the defendants were, in fact, parties to the contract that the claimant relied upon…

THE DEFENDANT'S DELAY LEADS TO COURT OF APPEAL REFUSING TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT JUDGMENT: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PROMPT

THE DEFENDANT’S DELAY LEADS TO COURT OF APPEAL REFUSING TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT JUDGMENT: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PROMPT

May 15, 2025 · by gexall · in Appeals, Members Content, Setting aside judgment

Today we are looking at a case where a defendant waited 16 months before applying to set aside a default judgment. That application to set aside was successful at first instance but overturned by the Court of Appeal. The Court…

ENTERING JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT: NO DUTY ON THE PARTIES TO HELP EACH OTHER: THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THE RULES

ENTERING JUDGMENT IN DEFAULT: NO DUTY ON THE PARTIES TO HELP EACH OTHER: THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THE RULES

August 21, 2024 · by gexall · in Applications, Avoiding negligence claims, Civil Procedure, Default judgment,, Members Content, Relief from sanctions

There are some interesting observations in the judgment of  HHJ Cadwallader (sitting as a Judge of the High Court) in Thiscompany Ltd & Ors v Welsh & Ors [2024] EWHC 2159 (Comm). It was a case where three of the…

APPLICATION TO SET ASIDE DEFAULT JUDGMENT: THREE MONTHS DELAY IS NOT “PROMPT”: ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE AND A DRAFT DEFENCE DID NOT HELP

November 27, 2023 · by gexall · in Applications, Default judgment,, Members Content, Setting aside judgment

In Pincus v Singh & Anor [2023] EWHC 2997 (Ch) HHJ Paul Matthews refused a defendant’s application to set aside a default judgment.  The defendant had waited for three months before making the application.  There was no evidence in support…

SETTING ASIDE A DEFAULT JUDGMENT: HAVE COGENT EVIDENCE (AND A DRAFT DEFENCE) TO HAND: DEFENDANT'S DELAY ALONE WOULD HAVE LED TO APPLICATION BEING REFUSED IN A CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE CASE

SETTING ASIDE A DEFAULT JUDGMENT: HAVE COGENT EVIDENCE (AND A DRAFT DEFENCE) TO HAND: DEFENDANT’S DELAY ALONE WOULD HAVE LED TO APPLICATION BEING REFUSED IN A CLINICAL NEGLIGENCE CASE

July 20, 2022 · by gexall · in Applications, Clinical Negligence, Members Content, Setting aside judgment

I am grateful to Barrister Leslie Keegan for their note of the judgment of Master Cook in Buckingham -v- Elneil (15th July 2022)*. The Master refused the defendant’s application to set aside a default judgment.  The defendant did not have…

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