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Derelict meaning

What does Derelict mean?
In maritime and admiralty practice, derelict describes a vessel, cargo or parts of a wrecked ship wholly abandoned at sea by those in charge, without intention or reasonable prospect of recovery, later found adrift or washed ashore. It is a descriptive common‑law term used across England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, and appears in legislation where “wreck” includes flotsam, jetsam, derelict and lagan (for example, the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (UK) and Irish wreck and salvage legislation), though the term itself is not usually exhaustively defined in statute. Key legal features and usage: - Indicates abandonment, distinguishing it from property merely lost or temporarily separated from a ship. - Relevant to salvage claims: historically “derelict” attracted higher salvage awards, though modern awards are assessed on general salvage principles. - Triggers reporting and custody rules: finders in the UK must report derelict wreck to the Receiver of Wreck within 28 days; in Ireland, finders must notify the Receiver of Wreck in accordance with Irish law. - Finders do not acquire title; ownership is determined under the statutory wreck regime. Unclaimed wreck is disposed of under statute, with salvage reward potentially payable. Usage and legal effect are broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland.
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NEWS
Re Grosvenor: Debarred defendants’ participation limits, fabricated evidence, de facto v shadow directors, knowing receipt and compound interest for misapplied company funds (England and Wales)

Re Grosvenor Property Developers Ltd (in liquidation) Atkinson and another v Varma (also known as Sanjeev Varma) and others [2020] EWHC 1114 (Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? There are four practical consequences flowing from this ruling: It firmly affirms that a defendant who has been debarred may not at all advance submissions in their own defence, save to point out obvious, manifest errors. It also delineates how far, in practice, the claimant must go to properly establish the claim against such a party. It offers an instance of a highly persuasive forensic case, without any expert opinion or cross-examination, that both documents and individuals were inventions. It considers the line between de facto directors and shadow directors. It exemplifies an award of compound interest in a dispute concerning the misapplication of corporate funds. What was the background? The company raised approximately £7.5m from investors to transform a derelict hotel into student housing. By the...

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NEWS
UK property law weekly: rent review ban, proprietary estoppel remedy, Electronic Communications Code rights and MSV costs, business rates avoidance schemes, Register of Overseas Entities, HMLR, Scottish infrastructure finance

In this issue Key developments and horizon scanning Transferring property Leasing property Property taxes Property in Scotland Additional property updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers Key developments and horizon scanning BPF flags commercial risks from proposed ban on upward-only rent reviews Ion Fletcher, policy director at the British Property Federation, has raised alarms about the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill’s move to outlaw upward-only rent reviews in commercial leases. Although he recognises the Bill’s wider goal of handing powers to regional authorities and improving local development outcomes, he cautions that inserting this prohibition at short notice—without consultation—could dent investor confidence. See: LNB News 23/09/2025 34. Source: BPF - BPF Spotlight Series: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Government unveils 'Pride in Place' programme to bolster communities The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has introduced the 'Pride in Place' programme, aiming to equip communities with new tools...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK Film and Television Law Glossary: Terms C–D—copyright, collecting societies, broadcasting, distribution

Film and TV glossary A–B Film and TV glossary E–H Film and TV glossary I–L Film and TV glossary M–P Film and TV glossary R–S Film and TV glossary T–W CAP Code for non-broadcast media The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (the CAP Code) serves as the principal framework governing non-broadcast adverts, promotional sales activity and direct marketing messages. It is drafted by the Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP), a self-regulatory body whose membership comprises organisations representing advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing and media industries. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) polices the CAP Code and may require the withdrawal or amendment of any advertisement that contravenes these standards. Refer to Practice Note: Advertising law and regulation. Channel 4 Channel 4 operates as a ‘publisher-broadcaster’: it produces no programmes internally, commissioning content from production companies across the UK. Cinematograph film Under the Copyright Act 1956 (CA 1956), films gained protection as...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK Corporation Tax: Land Remediation Relief for Contaminated and Derelict Land—Eligibility, 150% Deductions, Tax Credits, Exclusions and 2024–2025 Policy Developments

What is land remediation relief? (LRR) LRR provides corporation tax relief on expenditure incurred in remediating contaminated land or in bringing derelict sites back into use. In 2009, the regime was broadened to address market failure by returning long-term derelict land to use, bringing such sites back into use. An incentive applies where land, whose development has been affected by various kinds of continuing dereliction, is brought back into productive use. The extension was intended to correct market failure by encouraging activity on sites blighted by ongoing dereliction. The relief was at risk of being discontinued after 2012; however, the 2012 Budget confirmed it would continue. The October 2024 HM Treasury Corporate Tax Roadmap, published alongside Autumn Budget 2024, notes the new Labour government’s commitment to a brownfield-first approach, prioritising the development of previously used land wherever possible. Given the time since the last review of LRR, and the potential for it to help progress the government’s objectives, the Roadmap announced that a consultation would be launched to...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Corby litigation: civil liability of local authorities for contaminated land remediation—negligence, public nuisance and breach of statutory waste duties (England and Wales)

Actions against regulators/authorities Beyond judicial review of decisions, claimants may pursue civil proceedings where loss or damage is caused by breaches of duty and negligence by public bodies; the Corby litigation is a case in point, ending with an out-of-court settlement in April 2010. Corby dispute arose from remediation of a former steelworks, a site used for steel production for six decades and for disposal of steelmaking wastes long predating waste regulation. The local authority, Corby DC, holding enterprise zone status and benefiting from derelict land grant and EU regional development funding, acquired the 270ha site from British Steel in stages, reclaiming it in several phases over fifteen years...

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