In Chehaib v. King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation,[1] the High Court of England and Wales dismissed the claimant’s application for relief in respect of a claim form that had expired, having been ineffectively served via email without permission. While the master found she was bound by the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) and case law to dismiss the application for relief, she suggested that it might be time to review the rules on service of proceedings to allow for service via email without the need for permission.
Court of Appeal Holds That Courts Can Order Parties to Engage in Dispute Resolution
The Court of Appeal’s hotly anticipated decision in James Churchill v. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has been handed down. It holds that courts have the power to stay proceedings for, or order, parties to engage in a non-court-based dispute resolution process.
UK to Sign Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments
The Ministry of Justice has published the UK government’s response to the consultation on joining the Hague Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters, concluding that it is the right time for the UK to join the convention.
Part 36 Offer Containing Term Court Could Not Have Ordered Deemed Valid
In Robert Colicci & Others v. Nora Grinberg & Another, the High Court of England and Wales confirmed that a Part 36 offer containing a term that the court would not have been able to order (in this case, a payment to the defendant in exchange for the transfer of shares) was a valid Part 36 offer.
High Court Endorses Seven Principles for Securing Precautionary Injunctions
Injunctions are typically sought by parties after wrongdoing has already taken place. However, the English courts may grant a ‘quia timet’ – or ‘precautionary’ – injunction to prevent an actionable wrong from being committed.
In University of Brighton v. Persons Unknown Occupying Land, the High Court of England and Wales granted a final injunction preventing protesters from occupying certain areas of the claimant’s executive administration office. This judgment provides a useful restatement of the principles applied by the courts when determining whether to award a precautionary injunction.
EU Plans To Regulate Third-Party Funding in Litigation and International Arbitration
On 13th September 2022, the EU Parliament voted to approve a resolution proposing a directive (the “Directive”) on the regulation of third-party funding entitled “Responsible private funding of litigation”. If adopted in its current state, the proposal would regulate Third-Party Funders (“TPFs”) funding proceedings in the European Union.
Contractual Dispute Resolution Procedure as a Condition Precedent: Clarity is Key
The case of Kajima Construction Europe (UK) Ltd v Children’s Ark Partnership Ltd[1] serves as a reminder: a contractual Dispute Resolution Provision (“DRP”) can be a condition precedent to commencing proceedings. In a departure from previous case law,[2] the High Court in Kajima found a DRP does not actually have to be expressed as a condition precedent to be enforceable as one.
Threading Carefully
It is increasingly common to use email threading to reduce the burden and expense of reviewing and producing multiple copies of different stages of the same email conversation. However, the use of threading can backfire significantly if the technology is not fully understood.
Stolen Cryptoassets: Further Guidance on Injunctions and Jurisdiction
In Osbourne v Persons Unknown & Others, the High Court of England and Wales confirmed that there is ‘at least a realistically arguable case’ that non-fungible tokens are to be treated as property as a matter of English law and that their inherently unique nature makes them suitable objects of prohibitory injunctions.
The Court also held that it is ‘strongly arguable’ that when a cryptoasset is stolen from a victim located in England, a constructive trust arises that is governed by English law. Further, if that cryptoasset is subsequently transferred to others, the question of whether they are constructive trustees is also a matter of English law. As such, the Court has jurisdiction over claims against those subsequent recipients of the stolen cryptoasset regardless of their location.
Court of Appeal decides that cryptoasset software developers may have a duty to help recover bitcoin
The Court of Appeal has decided that cryptoasset software developers may owe fiduciary duties or a duty of care to help recover bitcoin which is inaccessible as a result of criminal activity.
This is not a final decision. The Court has simply decided that the claim, against foreign defendants, is arguable and can go to trial.