Disagreements between family members are often bitter, and this can lead to time, effort and expense being incurred which is disproportionate to the importance of the dispute when it concerns a family business, as a recent case illustrates. Two brothers…
In a warning to house buyers that it is wise to obtain a full survey before committing yourself, a couple who contracted to pay £3.6 million for a country house – but later pulled out of the deal when evidence…
In a guideline decision, the High Court has ordered enforcement of an adjudicator’s award on the basis that a kilometre-long conveyor system had a sufficient degree of permanency to render its installation a ‘construction operation’ within the meaning of the…
At what point does an agent’s introduction of an eventual buyer become an ‘effective cause’ of the sale? The Court of Appeal will consider that vital issue as brokers battle for a 10 per cent commission on the €19.8 million…
In a clear indication that the visual and other impacts of the ever-increasing number of wind farms have become a matter of Central Government concern, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government overruled one of his own planning…
In a warning to traders that those who deal in counterfeit goods are at risk of losing their liberty, a market stall holder who was caught offering for sale fake Apple mobile phone chargers and USB leads has failed in…
When work done by a contractor is deficient, the standard JCT form of contract allows an 'appropriate deduction' to be made from payment where the work is not to be made good by the contractor. Arguments over deductions made in…
In an important decision for corporate sponsors and those who benefit from their financial help, a fishing company which stumped up £1.2 million in support of its cash-strapped local rugby club has suffered defeat in its legal campaign to deduct…
A High Court case which dealt with a longstanding uncertainty on the validity of 'e-signatures' in certain types of agreements was decided recently. The case involved a professional musician who used a very valuable viola as collateral for loans and…
Following the introduction of Employment Tribunal (ET) fees in July 2013, the UK's largest public service trade union, Unison, supported by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, brought judicial review proceedings challenging the lawfulness of the new regime on the…
