Defiance of planning laws does not go unpunished and the courts will not relent until compliance is achieved. In one case, a farmer who built a mock Tudor castle in the green belt without planning consent was handed a three-month suspended jail term for his
Cross-border commercial disputes can often give rise to a risk that conflicting judicial decisions will be reached in different countries under different laws. However, a High Court ruling has underlined that, at least within the European Union (EU), rules are in place to prevent that
Investors who feel that their financial interests have been damaged by directors of companies in which they have a stake are not without legal redress. In one case, the High Court came to the aid of three men who were regarded with utter contempt by
Workplace whistleblowers play an essential role in society and are protected by law. However, one striking case has underlined that confidentiality rules still apply and that you would be wise to take legal advice before expressing your concerns. A nurse was anxious about standards of
Ignoring the intellectual property rights of others can be a road to financial ruin and ultimately to imprisonment. In one case, a trader who dealt in fake designer clothing on an industrial scale was jailed for 10 months and stripped of both his bogus stock
Every business owner should know that lax bookkeeping can land you in deep water with the tax authorities. However, in one case, a chip shop proprietor argued that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) got its sums wrong and succeeded in overturning back-tax demands and penalties
In an unusual case upon which the future of a crumbling Victorian pier depended, the High Court has given important guidance on the extent to which the homes of those who are declared bankrupt are protected from their creditors. A businessman was made bankrupt five
Those employed in sensitive government jobs should take note of an unusual case in which a chess master and computer security expert was refused employment at top secret intelligence base GCHQ after stating that, if forced to choose, his devotion to God would outweigh his
In a case which raised a tricky issue of contractual construction, a mortgage lender who alleged that surveyors deceitfully overvalued over 40 properties has been allowed to proceed with the entirety of its claim by the Court of Appeal. The lenders launched proceedings against the
Winding up petitions can be a very effective means of bringing pressure to bear on debtor companies. However, as one High Court case illustrated, their deployment as leverage is usually only appropriate in circumstances where the evidence of money owed is cut and dried. Company
