The courts service (HMCTS) spent £50m last year on agency and contract staff; it spent less than £4m in 2010, whilst more than 220 courts across England and Wales have closed. Part of the increase appears to be linked to a £1bn court modernisation programme aimed at transferring more court hearings online or operating them…
Phone-hacking allegations against both The Sun and the now defunct News Of The World are due to be heard at the High Court. The latest round of the long-running litigation involves four individuals – including comedian Vic Reeves, and Coronation Street actor Jimmi Harkishin. The others are TV presenter Kate Thornton and talent manager Chris…
If you have suffered a personal injury following a collision with a vehicle and the driver does not stop or leaves the scene quickly – you can still claim compensation for your injuries. Such incidents are known as “Hit and Run” cases. The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) is a non-profit organisation that was set up…
A government consultation paper plans to protect consumers from unresolved debts stemming from unfair county court judgments (CCJs) in a move to tackle concerns about ‘rogue companies’ such as parking enforcement businesses. Concerns were raised that some companies are deliberately sending claims to incorrect addresses. This can severely impact credit ratings and the issue may…
The High Court has dismissed an attempt to stop a former litigant in person getting a second chance at making their claim after the first was struck out due to a technicality. Philip Davies is pursuing the second action against a company of boiler installers after his first attempt was struck out due to him…
Lego says it has won a landmark copyright case in China against rival products almost identical to its famous toy bricks. It is the first time Lego has won a competition case against Chinese copycat products. The victory follows an earlier court ruling that Lego’s name and logo are well-known trademarks in China. Firms making…
What type of firms can I apply the late payment legislation to? The legal status of the business you are seeking to claim interest from is irrelevant. It can be a sole proprietor, partnership or limited liability company. However you cannot apply the late payment legislation to personal debt. What if a customer has more…
High Court judge Mr Justice Fraser has warned of ‘draconian’ costs penalties should two parties in litigation continue to refuse to cooperate. He said both sides in Bates & Ors v Post Office Ltd had rebuffed efforts to manage the case in a cost-effective and efficient way. The case involves sub-post masters pursuing action against…
Monarch Airlines has lost its High Court battle against Airport Co-ordination Limited’s (“ACL”) decision not to allocate certain take-off and landing slots to Monarch for next summer. Monarch wanted to exchange with other carriers to raise cash for creditors. The slots cover Manchester, Gatwick, Birmingham, Luton and Leeds-Bradford airports. The airline ceased trading last month…
A proposal to make 13 the age of consent for signing up to online services such as social media platforms has come under fire in parliament. The House of Lords was holding its first debate on the Data Protection Bill, to ensure that the UK’s data protection regime aligns with that of the EU following…