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…
THE CORRECT PROCEDURE IF A PARTY WANTS TO ATTEMPT TO RELY ON “WITHOUT PREJUDICE” DOCUMENTS: THE EXCEPTIONS TO THE WP RULE CONSIDERED
We are looking at a judgment from today which considers the “without prejudice” rule in some detail. In particular the steps a party should take if it wishes to argue that it should be able to rely on without prejudice…
DEFENCE AND COUNTERCLAIM STRUCK OUT BECAUSE THE DEFENDANT RELIED ON WITHOUT PREJUDICE COMMUNICATIONS
In West v Churchill & Anor [2024] EWHC 940 (Ch) HHJ Keyser KC (sitting as a High Court Judge) struck out a defence and counterclaim that referred to without prejudice negotiations and correspondence. There had been no agreement reached between…
DISCUSSIONS TO SELL LAND WERE WITHOUT PREJUDICE AND COULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AT HEARING: THE WITHOUT PREJUDICE RULE EXAMINED
In Windmill Holdings SPV Ltd v Adams & Anor (LAND REGISTRATION – ADVERSE POSSESSION – evidence) [2021] UKUT 228 (LC) The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), Judge Elizabeth Cooke, upheld the decision of the First-tier tribunal excluding certain evidence on the…
EXCEPTIONS TO THE WITHOUT PREJUDICE RULE: COURT OF APPEAL ALLOWS MATTERS SET OUT IN MEDIATION TO BE PLEADED IN A DEFENCE
In Berkeley Square Holdings Ltd & Ors v Lancer Property Asset Management Ltd & Ors [2021] EWCA Civ 551 the Court of Appeal upheld an order directing that statements made in without prejudice in mediation were disclosable and could be…
A CASE WHERE LAWYERS BECOME RESPONDENTS TO THE ACTION WHERE A PARTY IS SEEKING TO RECOVER COSTS: ALSO WAIVING PRIVILEGE IN WITHOUT PREJUDICE CORRESPONDENCE
Technically speaking, the judgment of Mrs Justice Andrews in Willers v Joyce & Ors [2019] EWHC 937 (Ch) is about the “without prejudice” rule. However the point that has caught everyone’s attention is the fact that lawyers, previously acting for…
NO SPECIAL FORM OF “MEDIATION PRIVILEGE”: MEDIATION AGREEMENT DID NOT OVERRIDE GENERAL PRINCIPLES PREVENTING WITHOUT PREJUDICE COMMUNICATION BEING USED A A FORM OF BLACKMAIL
The decision of Mrs Justice Rose in Interactive Technology Corporation Ltd v Ferster & Ors [2015] EWHC 3895 (Ch) considers the issue of “mediation privilege”. This is not a new case (the judgment was dated 21st December 2015) however it has…
DISCLOSING DETAILS OF COSTS INFORMATION PROVIDED FOR MEDIATION : DISCLOSURE ALLOWED: HIGH COURT DECISION
In Savings Advice Limited -v- EDF Energy Customers Ltd [2017] EWHC B1 (Costs) Master Haworth had to consider the issue of admissibility of evidence relating to a mediation. KEY POINTS Information provided about costs in the run up of a mediation…
CANAL TRUST’S ATTEMPTS TO BARGE OVER WITHOUT PREJUDICE RULE IS SUNK WITHOUT TRACE: NO WATERING DOWN OF THE PRINCIPLES
Can a party refer to without prejudice correspondence at interlocutory hearings? The previous post looked at the judgment of Chief Master Marsh in Ravenscroft -v- Canal & River Trust [2016] EWHC 2282 (Ch) in relation to the issue of McKenzie friends….
PUTTING "WITHOUT PREJUDICE" ON LETTERS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE THEM PRIVILEGED: AVONWICK -V- WEBINVEST IN THE COURT OF APPEAL
The case of Avonwick -v- Webinvest has been looked at before on this blog. Mr Justice David Richards held that letters asking for time to pay a debt were not covered by privilege just because they were headed “without prejudice”….
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