Month: August 2016

4.08.16

Illegailty and enforceability of contracts

In Patel v Mirza [2016] UKSC 42 the Supreme Court was afforded the opportunity to review and revise the doctrine of illegality. The Facts Mr Patel had paid the sum of £620,000 to Mr Mirza for the purpose of acquiring shares in RBS on the basis that Mirza had acquired some inside information about an…

1.08.16

Sibling slander case fails as claimant fails to prove words were spoken

In G v G [2016] EWHC 1783 (QB), the Claimant sued his brother  for slander, in respect of comments allegedly made in a telephone call in November 2013. The Claim pre-dated the commencement of the Defamation Act 2013, and therefore the ‘serious harm’ [to reputation] test did not apply. The slander was said to be actionable per se…

Serious Fraud Office publishes annual report

The Serious Fraud Office (‘SFO’) presented its annual report to Parliament on 20 July 2016.  Established in 1988, the body investigates complex, data heavy, technically and legally challenging cases under the scrutiny of the Attorney General rather than the Home Office. The annual report shows promising statistics for the body’s survival under Theresa May’s premiership. …

Hate Crimes and Extremism are on the rise – but what exactly do these terms mean?

Racist and religiously-motivated attacks are sharply on the rise, we hear, and so the new government is taking action. The Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC stated, “We need to ensure that victims of hate crimes are confident that these offences will be investigated and prosecuted,” after the New Home Secretary’s announcement that the Home Office would…

Public interest defence successfully deployed at libel trial for first time

The claimant in the case of Economou v De Freitas ([2016] EWHC 1853 (QB)) has lost his libel action against the father of a woman who accused him of rape. The claimant, Alexander Economou, brought the action over statements published in the media between November and December 2014 which he claimed amounted to a “public rubbishing” by the…

Construction firm ordered to pay £550,000 fine for double corporate manslaughter conviction

A construction firm has been fined £550,000 after two men fell through plywood hoardings around a building site in the early hours of 19 October 2013.  Monavon Construction Ltd pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to two counts of corporate manslaughter (contrary to section 1 Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007) and a further charge of…