Many very large commercial contracts are agreed orally, never making their way into writing, and the question of when a deal is ‘closed’ can thus be of crucial importance. In one case, the High Court analysed exactly what was said during a meeting at a
A landlord who takes on responsibility for repairing and maintaining premises is not obliged to improve them – or even to ensure that they are safe. The Court of Appeal so ruled in a guideline case which arose in the context of a slipping accident
A High Court case has vividly illustrated why professional advice is needed not only in drafting contracts but in administering them thereafter. A company was left on the brink of insolvency by its failure to submit a valid application for a stage payment during refurbishment
Judges are required to be, and to appear to be, impartial. However, in one very rare case, an employment judge was found to have descended into the arena of dispute, making a series of unwarranted comments which put a lawyer under unfair pressure whilst he
Although the way in which benefits of employment are taxed is relevant to millions, it is an intensely complex field which only a specialist can be expected to understand. One Court of Appeal case which proved that point involved a company which leased cars to
Local authorities are under an obligation to set aside sufficient land to meet demand for new homes in their areas and one High Court case has underlined that those who fail to do so are at grave risk of having developments foisted upon them. A
The courts are getting increasingly tough on environmental crime and transgressors can expect to be hit heavily in the pocket. In one case, a chemicals company was fined £166,650 after caustic soda leaked into the Manchester Ship Canal. The toxic substance was being pumped onto
The end of business relationships can often be bitter and can give rise to difficult issues as to which party is in the wrong in contractual terms. That was certainly so in one case in which a commercial agency won more than £180,000 in damages
The division between judiciary and executive is a central tenet of modern democracy – but that line can sometimes be far from distinct. In one case, a judge found himself in the difficult position of being called upon to identify the legitimate government of war-torn
Ignoring your workers’ employment rights can be extremely costly, both in financial and reputational terms. In one case of which all employers should take note, a hotel company was left facing a substantial compensation bill after breaking almost every rule in the book when one
