In the first of two articles, Suzanne Chalmers and Jack Macaulay explore the current law relating to claimants’ illegality and dishonesty ‘The essential rationale of the doctrine of illegality was that it would be contrary to the public interest to enforce a claim if to do so would be harmful to the integrity of the …
Continue reading "Conduct: Hoisted by their own petard?"
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James Goudkamp explores whether the Supreme Court’s policy-based approach to the illegality doctrine will be followed in tort cases ‘An important question that arises, and one that was not answered by the Supreme Court, is whether Patel applies beyond the field of unjust enrichment.’ The Supreme Court recently handed down judgment in the appeal in …
Continue reading "Illegality: Does Patel v Mirza apply in tort?"
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Vehicular trespass to the person; battery; self-defence; ex turpi causa; volenti non fit injuria ‘A finding that the force used was disproportionate so as to preclude self-defence is simultaneously likely to mean that there is no entry point for ex turpi, or at best only a very narrow one.’ This case provides an enlightening illustration …
Continue reading "Case Report: Flint v Tittensor and the MIB [2015] EWHC 466 (QB)"
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Wills & Trusts Law Reports | December 2014 #145The claimant Arthur Watts (Arthur) sued his brother James Watts (James) in respect of trust transactions in 1998.
In 1967 Geoffrey Watts, the father of Arthur and James, made a settlement in favour of his children and grandchildren. In 1976 this trust fund was split into separate trust funds for each of Geoffrey’s children. James was one of the trustees of Arthur’s trust fund. The main beneficiaries were Arthur in his lifetime and thereafter his legitimate children. Clause 4 allowed the trustees to pay all the capital to Arthur if they considered it to be to his advantage...
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | November 2014 #144The appellant was a property dealer and the respondent was a foreign exchange broker, who had a personal spread-betting account with IG Index. In August 2009, a third party informed the appellant of a deal offered by the respondent that involved a bet on the movement in the value of shares in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). The defendant claimed to know people who sat in on meetings between the heads of RBS and officials from the government, and it was expected the Chancellor would make a public statement which would have an effect on the share price of RBS. Following an initial telephone ...
Ex turpi causa; joint enterprise; recovery of damages ‘Where it can be said that the claimant’s cause of action arises in course of their participation in, or furtherance of a criminal activity, the claimant is prohibited from recovering damages due to sound policy reasons.’ In the case of David Joyce, the Court of Appeal recently …
Continue reading "Case Report: Joyce v O’Brien & anor [2013] EWCA Civ 546"
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Anna Macey considers the limits of recovery ‘Ex turpi causa is rarely used in RTA claims because there are policy arguments in favour of allowing an individual to succeed in their claim for damages, not least to prevent the costs falling on the state.’ In a recent case the Court of Appeal held that ex …
Continue reading "RTA: MIB agreement"
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RTA victims; criminal activity ‘The ex turpi causa principle as applied in the MIB agreement, on its wording, must be referring to a serious crime and be subject to a de minimis rule.’ The issue of whether a claimant should succeed in an action in tort, which occurs during criminal activity, at first appears a …
Continue reading "Case Report: Delaney v Pickett & anor"
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Lisa Sullivan and Martyn Mcleish offer practical tips on how to navigate claims where allegations of exaggeration may arise ‘The defence operates as a rule of public policy by which an otherwise perfectly proper claim will not be allowed to proceed or a particular head of loss cannot be recovered because it offends public conscience …
Continue reading "Evidence: Problem issues and problem clients"
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