Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Relief from sanctions case summaries from 1 January 2024: grants and refusals under the Denton test (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Dispute Resolution expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note gathers a selection of illustrative rulings to explain how the courts are likely to approach an application for relief from sanctions. It differentiates decisions where relief was granted from those where it was refused, highlighting the key facts and the result in each instance. This Practice Note includes relevant authorities from 1 January 2024 onwards. For illustrative decisions relating to periods before 1 January 2024, see Practice Note: Relief from sanctions—illustrative decisions [Archived]. For guidance on when relief must be sought and on making or resisting an application, see Practice Notes: Relief from sanctions—when is an application for relief required? and Relief from sanctions—making or opposing an application. For more detailed guidance on the court’s approach to relief from sanctions, see Practice Note: Relief from sanctions—the courts’ approach. Collectively, these notes illuminate the courts’ handling of applications for relief from sanctions from 2024 onwards.

Relief from sanctions granted

Case details and analysis: Rzucek v Vinnicombe [2026] EWHC 946 (KB), 23 April 2026
Issue: Whether relief from sanctions should be granted where the claimant failed to serve a witness statement within the period specified by the court order; the statement was served just over two months late
Decision

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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