Although it is a general principle under English law that parties should be free to negotiate their own contract terms, the Court may decide that a clause is "unenforceable" in certain circumstances, even where both parties have signed up to it....
Litigation can be a very expensive and time consuming process that can be a real drain on a party`s resources. In some cases, the costs of fighting litigation and recovery of those costs can become as important to a party as winning the claim. Mediation is generally seen as a successful method of resolving disputes cheaply and quickly...
When there is a dispute about the performance of a contract, one of the first issues that must be determined is which law applies to that contract, particularly where the parties to the contract are based in different countries or the contract involves working overseas. For example, which law will apply to a contract between Peruvian and Malaysian companies to transport goods between Nigeria and India? The law applicable to that contract will inevitably impact on the outcome of any dispute that arises from the performance of that contract....
One of the functions of the law is to protect consumers against businesses taking unfair advantage of them. The motor industry is no exception in this regard. There is a considerable amount of consumer legislation that is designed to give consumers a redress when they lose out due to unscrupulous business practices....
Many commercial agreements contain clauses stating that one party is required to indemnify the other part for legal costs in the event of a breach of contract....
Two recent cases have shown the challenges that a successful Defendant can face when unable to recover costs from an impecunious Claimant. The general principle employed by the court is that a non-party to the proceedings, but who has funded the litigation, may incur a personal costs liability if they have a financial interest in the outcome of those proceedings....
Since May 2011 the Information Commissioner`s Office (the "ICO") has had the power to issue Civil Monetary Penalties ("CMPs") of up to £500,000 for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act....
1 April 2013 is an important date for lawyers. It is when the new rules on recovery of legal costs in legal proceedings are planned to come into force....
In the latest decision by the English courts concerning the social networking and micro blogging website Twitter, Paul Chambers, a former trainee accountant, has been acquitted of sending a "menacing message". As a result of a message Chambers posted on Twitter he was arrested at his workplace, lost his job, and for more than two years endured the threat of criminal sanctions and terrorist association hanging over him....
A perennial problem faced by the Courts is the temptation by claimants to overstate the value of their claims. The problem is particularly acute in personal injury claims with insurers often taking the brunt of the increased compensation awards which then filter down to consumers through higher insurance premiums. However, the problem is not confined to personal injury cases. Unscrupulous claimants often find ways of exaggerating losses in commercial cases....
Motor vehicle insurance has been the subject of several Court decisions in the past year. Last month it was the turn of vehicle repair charges incurred after motor vehicle accidents to be looked at by a Judge....
In the recent case of Spreadex Ltd -v- Cochrane [2012] EWHC 1290 (Comm), the High Court has held that a term in a Customer Agreement appearing on the website of a spread betting bookmaker was not binding on a consumer....
In the recent case of Argos Ltd & Others -v- Leather Trade House Ltd (formerly BLC Leather Technology Centre Ltd) [2012] EWHC 1348 (QB), the High Court has held that Argos and Homebase can reclaim from Leather Trade House millions of pounds of compensation which they paid out to their customers who suffered skin irritation from their products....
In the recent decision in Wright Hassall LLP v Morris (2012), the Court was asked to determine whether an administrator was personally liable for an award of damages and costs entered against two companies in administration....
There are many different ways that a dispute can be resolved other than through the Courts. Since the Civil Procedure Rules were implemented in 1999, there has been a strong emphasis on encouraging parties to try to settle their differences out of Court wherever possible. In particular, the Courts have encouraged parties to resolve their disputes through mediation....
In the recent case of Coventry (T/A RDC Promotions) & Others -v- Lawrence & Others [2012] EWCA Civ 26, the Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision made in favour of a couple who complained about noise from a nearby speedway stadium and motocross track....
The International Association of Contract and Commercial Management ("IACCM") has recently launched a survey to uncover which terms of a commercial contract are subject to the most frequent negotiation between the parties....
When someone is an innocent victim in a motor accident, they are generally entitled to a replacement vehicle whilst their damaged vehicle is being repaired and to recover the costs from the other driver`s insurer. To avoid the upfront hire charges, some people choose to hire the replacement vehicle on credit terms from a credit hire company and leave it to them to recover the hire costs from the other driver`s insurer through the Court if necessary....
For some years` the "Pre-action Protocol for claims for damages in relation to the physical state of commercial property at termination of a tenancy" - better known as "the Dilapidations Protocol" has been followed imperfectly (if at all) by landlords, tenants, surveyors and solicitors....
An arbitration tribunal will have jurisdiction to hear a dispute if there is a valid arbitration agreement between the parties that covers the dispute in question. Most national arbitration laws recognise that a properly constituted arbitration tribunal has the same authority as a national Court to determine its own jurisdiction. A national Court must therefore be very reluctant to hear an application to decide whether or not there is a valid arbitration agreement between the parties before the arbitration tribunal can consider the issue....