Litigation privilege meaning

This Checklist sets out privilege considerations when interviewing witnesses or gathering background to a dispute, including when legal professional privilege (LPP) may apply. It gives guidance on conducting witness interviews, how to record interview notes to preserve privilege, and managing investigations, for instance in the context of a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation... Privilege When speaking to potential witnesses or assembling background material, an interviewer’s notes may attract LPP, in the form of: legal advice privilege—confidential communications between legal advisers and their clients made for the purpose of giving or receiving legal advice on the prudent and sensible course in the relevant legal context (Balabel, Taylor LJ) litigation privilege—confidential communications between (1) legal advisers or their clients and (2) third parties, where the sole or dominant purpose of the communication relates to existing or contemplated litigation Communications protected by legal advice privilege are not limited by the scope of litigation privilege (Three Rivers (No 6) at [617]). For further information on...

These are indicative pointers only, as each criminal investigation will depend on its particular facts. This checklist should be read alongside Practice Notes: Legal Professional Privilege in criminal proceedings and Maintaining privilege during criminal investigations. Confidentiality is paramount and must be preserved. If a document or communication was not confidential when created, or later ceases to be confidential, it will generally not benefit from Legal Professional Privilege (LPP). To assert privilege, consider carefully whether you rely on legal advice privilege or litigation privilege, as different factors apply to each... Steps to maintain legal professional privilege At the outset If the client seeks advice before a criminal investigation begins: Legal advice privilege Assess whether legal advice privilege applies, namely: is the communication confidential? (If yes) is the communication between a lawyer and their client, in either direction? (If yes) is the dominant purpose to give or obtain legal advice?...

Validity of Wills Appeal allowed: a revocation clause in an India‑focused will cancelled an earlier English will; s9(d) needs no re‑acknowledgement by witnesses. Disclosure The court endorsed a private hearing to seal HRH Prince Philip’s will, dismissing the Guardian’s transparency challenge. Removal and replacement of personal representatives Courts clarified English law governs foreign executors’ standing, prioritised grants amid polygamy, and appointed, replaced or removed PRs where administration was imperilled. Interpretation, construction and rectification Rulings highlight the need for clear residuary clauses, uphold plain wording, apply intended domiciliary law, and adopt pragmatic, swift construction and rectification. Burial disputes Decisions resolved intestacy burial forums, granted special guardians control, safeguarded Article 8 interests, and directed remains’ disposal in exceptional cases. Personal representatives’ duties Authorities addressed mortgage burdens on survivorship, circumscribed trustee remuneration, compelled accounts, and encouraged seeking directions when uncertain. Estate accounts and solicitor fees Courts withheld indemnities for disproportionate or self‑interested litigation, denied fees absent charging clauses or consent,...

In this issue: Key DR developments Claims and remedies Costs and funding Litigation Case management Evidence and disclosure ADR Scottish Dispute Resolution New content Dates for your diary Useful information Daily and weekly news alerts Dispute Resolution Highlights 2025/2026 Key DR developments Alternative dispute resolution European Parliament adopts new rules to modernise out-of-court dispute resolution for consumers The European Parliament has approved refreshed measures to enhance consumer out-of-court complaint handling, updating the EU’s ADR framework for the digital landscape and cross-border disputes. The reforms delineate ADR’s reach to cover matters arising both before and after contractual agreements, and in specified circumstances enable involvement by traders from third countries. The directive will come into force 20 days following publication and will begin to apply 32 months thereafter. For more, see: Parliament adopts new rules to modernise out-of-court dispute resolution for consumers—LNB News 16/12/2025 Court information HMCTS update hearing...

In brief Limbu v Dyson, alleging forced labour within Dyson’s Malaysian supply network, settled before trial The proceedings posed novel issues about whether UK companies may owe a duty of care to workers in overseas supply chains The Supreme Court’s refusal of Dyson’s forum non‑convenience challenge signalled a judicial readiness to scrutinise human rights harms abroad The claim also advanced unjust enrichment, contending Dyson effectively profited from exploitation Although Dyson denies liability, the settlement signals an important acceptance of responsibility and may still deliver key outcomes pursued through strategic litigation: remedy, accountability, industry change and pressure for legislative reform What happened in Limbu v Dyson? In 2022, twenty‑four Nepalese and Bangladeshi migrant workers issued a High Court claim against Dyson over alleged abuses while working in two Malaysian factories making components for the Dyson supply chain. After years of wrangling over forum, a January 2026 ruling that the case should be heard in the UK saw Dyson then settle....

PI & Clinical Negligence weekly highlights—7 March 2024 In this issue: Clinical negligence Fraud and fundamental dishonesty Damages Case management Costs Key PI & Clinical Negligence developments LexTalk®PI & Clinical Negligence: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts Clinical negligence Administrative Court dismisses appeal in clinical negligence claim The King’s Bench Division Administrative Court (Birmingham), in Chilton v Payne [2024] EWHC 451 (Admin), rejected the appellant’s appeal against an order dismissing her claim for damages against the respondent surgeon for negligence. The case concerned an alleged omission by the respondent to provide, or ensure, sufficient abdominoplasty follow-up and/or aftercare. She maintained, among other grounds, that the judge had erred in fact and in law: (i) in concluding there was no breach of the post-operative duty of care; and (ii) in his treatment of factual causation. On appeal, the court affirmed that the judge was right to find no duty on the respondent to...

As of 31 January 2020, the UK left the EU and the EEA. This Practice Note introduces: the General Data Protection Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (EU GDPR) framework (which applied within UK law up to the end of the Brexit implementation period—11 pm UK time on 31 December 2020—and continues to operate across the EEA; therefore, any references in this Practice Note to EEA or EU states should be read as also covering the UK until that period concluded) the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation, Retained Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (UK GDPR) framework (which applies under UK law from the end of the Brexit implementation period) Where there is no need to draw a distinction, this Practice Note refers to both as ‘GDPR’ for ease. When looking at the routine processing of personal data, the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) should be consulted together, as both sets of provisions have direct effect. Practitioners will generally...

Privilege—the basic principles This Practice Note sets out several of the issues that general privilege principles create for IP practitioners, together with specific statutory IP privilege provisions to keep in view. For broader guidance on privilege as a whole, see: Privilege and without prejudice communications—overview. Privilege exists because a client and a lawyer need to communicate frankly about protecting the client’s interests, without those conversations being disclosable to an opposing party or to the court. Although the following are not the only species of privilege, the two principal forms to focus on in the IP sphere are ‘legal advice privilege’ and ‘litigation privilege’. The rules governing each, as developed through case law, can operate with very different practical effects, and their consequences may diverge considerably. These two forms are sometimes grouped together as ‘legal professional privilege’, yet that phrasing is confusingly close to ‘legal advice privilege’ and will therefore not be used again in this note. Appreciating the differences between legal advice privilege and litigation privilege is of...

This Practice Note outlines legal professional privilege (LPP) in Scottish civil litigation. It should be read alongside Practice Note: Privilege in Scotland—general principles, which sets out the two main categories of legal professional privilege: legal advice privilege (LAP) and litigation privilege (LP), and also refers to without prejudice privilege, waiver of privilege and common interest privilege. For the position in England and Wales, see: Privilege and without prejudice communications—overview and Practice Note: Privilege—general principles which, in addition to providing an overview, link to more detailed guidance on aspects of LPP. Key: FOI—freedom of information LAP—legal advice privilege LP—litigation privilege LPP—legal professional privilege Accessing privileged material in Scottish civil litigation In Scotland, several mechanisms enable recovery of otherwise privileged documents or communications, either within proceedings or outwith the court process, including: section 1 of the Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1972 (AJ(S)A 1972) commission and diligence Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FI(S)A 2002) ...

Legal professional privilege (LPP) is a core legal protection that permits [ insert organisation’s name ] to resist producing evidence to a third party or the court. It enables the organisation to seek expert legal guidance, setting out all pertinent facts to our legal advisers without concern that they will later be revealed and used against us. This short guide sets out what legal professional privilege (LPP) is and how we can best preserve it. 1 What is legal professional privilege? LPP is an umbrella term covering: legal advice privilege (LAP) litigation privilege LPP safeguards the confidentiality of written and verbal communications between lawyers and clients. It is a fundamental entitlement, allowing a party to withhold material from disclosure to any third party or a court. Legal advice privilege Legal advice privilege applies to all confidential communications between a client and their lawyer made for the purpose of giving or obtaining legal advice...

Precedent sample privilege log Click to access the Precedent sample privilege log. Please note this register was created in Excel, so it cannot be exported to Word. This Precedent sample privilege log is suitable when an organisation runs an internal investigation. It helps you catalogue documents covered by legal professional privilege, indicate whether they are redacted or fully withheld, and state the rationale. Use it to note whether access is limited by redaction or complete withholding, together with the underlying justification. It is equally applicable where an organisation faces an external investigation. Legal professional privilege (LPP) shields documents from disclosure to third parties, including government agencies, regulators and claimants in civil proceedings. There are two categories of LPP: legal advice privilege litigation privilege See Practice Note: Internal investigations and legal professional privilege—Types of legal professional privilege...

Litigation privilege This privilege safeguards exchanges (i) between a solicitor and their client, or (ii) between the client and a third party—see Practice Note: Legal professional privilege for in-house lawyers—Litigation privilege. To set up and preserve litigation privilege, you can sidestep the challenge of trying to pin down pertinent information—such as dates and grounds—by capturing the key points in this Precedent. It is supplied in Excel format and therefore cannot be downloaded into Word...

Legal professional privilege Legal professional privilege denotes a doctrine shielding particular categories of documents from scrutiny or inspection by the opposing party to the case. Legal advice privilege covers materials containing advice irrespective of whether proceedings are envisaged at any stage. Litigation privilege concerns documents created when litigation is extant or on foot, anticipated, or pending as such. Both are treated as sitting beneath the umbrella of legal advice privilege. A hearing attendance note will, as a rule, come within litigation privilege and so need not be disclosed to the other side. The request for a copy of that hearing note may, therefore, be made with a respondent’s potential appeal in mind...

Legal professional privilege Legal professional privilege is a doctrine shielding specified categories of documents from scrutiny by the opposing party in proceedings. Legal advice privilege covers materials that convey advice, regardless of whether litigation is anticipated. Litigation privilege concerns documents created when litigation is on foot, foreseen, or awaiting commencement. Both are treated as sitting beneath the umbrella of legal advice privilege. A hearing attendance note will usually attract litigation privilege and, as a result, need not be disclosed to the other side. A request for a copy of the hearing attendance note may, in fact, be made with a respondent’s prospective appeal in mind...

General principles—privilege and confidentiality One of the trickier problems a practitioner encounters during litigation, especially at the disclosure stage of proceedings, is protecting a client’s confidential documents and information from review by other parties and from being put before the court. A principal way to secure protection for material relevant to a dispute is to assert that it is privileged. Once it is established that a document is privileged, the holder acquires a right to refuse inspection of that document. For wider guidance on the meaning and effects of privilege, see Practice Note: Privilege—general principles. Crucially, merely labelling a document ‘privileged’ does not settle its status. To benefit from this special protection—allowing a client to maintain confidentiality and withhold inspection of a relevant document—the criteria for one of the recognised forms of privilege must actually be satisfied (see below). More generally, for a claim to privilege to be effective, the document must remain confidential; that is, it must not have become publicly available, or otherwise available to the other...