Private property rights matter and those who trample on them usually pay a heavy price. That was certainly so in one case in which a high-handed and opportunistic property developer constructed affordable housing in knowing breach of restrictive covenants that protected the rights of a
The constraints on public expenditure are such that a government grant in respect of one project is frequently met by objections by the promoters of another. That was certainly so in a High Court case in which a choice had to be made between furthering
The best way to keep down the emotional and financial cost of divorce is to maintain a sense of compromise. In a big money case in which that signally failed to happen, a wife was hit hard in the pocket for making unrealistic financial demands.
Judges often have opportunities to bring about fundamental changes in the law, but they always keep a weather eye to the impact of such changes on the real world. In a case on point, the Court of Appeal declined to alter the long-standing principles of
The police do a difficult job, but when they breach their duties and injury or death results it is only right that compensation is paid. In one case, a judge ruled that officers violated the human rights of a teenage motorist who died in a
Online taxi company Uber has failed to convince the Court of Appeal that drivers who make use of its app are self-employed contractors, rather than ‘workers’ within the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996. However, in a rare move, the company has been granted
What is a listed building? The Court of Appeal has ruled in a guideline case that two 18th century urns and their pedestals fit the bill. The decision left a landowner who removed the items from his garden without permission at risk of prosecution. The
Before naming your business or registering an Internet domain name it always pays to seek professional advice in order to avoid confusion and to ensure that you are not breaching anyone else’s rights. A restaurateur found that out to his cost after he christened his
The whole point of contract arbitrations is that the parties agree in advance that they will be bound by the arbitrator’s decision. However, as a case concerning a dispute between two professional football clubs showed, the High Court retains power to intervene in cases of
Keeping farming businesses intact through the generations can be difficult and that is why professional estate planning advice is always necessary. The point was illustrated by a case in which the Court of Appeal sought to bestow peace on a mother and son who had
