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Lucasfilm did not benefit in any way at Tyburn Film Productions Ltd's expense, counsel said to the appeals court there on 3 December 2025, in part because it already possessed rights over Cushing's likeness and an agreement and consent from the Cushing estate to 'resurrect' him as Grand Moff Tarkin. Tyburn contends it earlier made an agreement with the late actor then, at the time, granting the company a veto over any use of his image prior to his 1994 death. That contract concerns a TV series titled 'Heritage of Horror', which never aired. Tyburn further asserts the deal permits it to effectively 'resurrect' Cushing using stand-ins and CGI to ultimately finish the programme then if the actor were to die whilst filming remained in progress...
Irish telecom operator Eircom’s damages lawsuit against BT Group over a public-sector contract must be carefully managed to trial to deal with confidentiality issues and other matters, a UK judge told the parties today. At the High Court in London today, a judge said Eircom’s damages action against BT over a public-sector contract needs tight case management through to trial to address confidentiality and related concerns. Eircom brought the claim after Ofcom in 2020 penalised BT for its behaviour during a tender. Speaking to both sides, Judge Adam Johnson urged them to resolve any confidentiality flashpoints themselves and signalled he had no wish to step in unless it became unavoidable. He also expressed confidence that parties would do everything possible to keep confidential designations to a minimum, noting this was necessary to maintain control over the conduct of the trial. He framed this as the
The following document is attached: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/274 dated 5 February 2026, revising Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1981, establishing a final anti-dumping levy on imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware produced in...
Justice Richard Arnold granted AstraZeneca leave to appeal and permitted lorries carrying about 175,000 packs of Glenmark’s generics to move on to wholesalers, provided they did not reach pharmacy shelves while the case continued at any point during those interim proceedings. In this way, Glenmark could keep its first-to-market advantage, while causing only minimal detriment to AstraZeneca should the Court of Appeal later be persuaded to issue an injunction against supply. The judge said this approach maintained the status quo with the least possible prejudice to Glenmark’s position overall. The hearing was arranged at short notice, just days after the High Court refused AstraZeneca an injunction to block the diabetes generic from sale while the court considered whether the patents supporting the branded medicine were valid in law. Glenmark, Generics (UK) Ltd and Teva Pharmaceuticals have each begun proceedings in the UK to set...
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A £7.3bn wealth fund would catalyse investment and support the modernisation of the industry, Reeves said. Pension schemes will also be urged to prioritise backing domestic firms, while the wealth fund is intended to channel capital into ports, gigafactories and steelworks. ' We will focus on the pensions system to drive investment into homegrown British enterprise and to secure better returns for pension savers,' Reeves said. According to Reeves, the Treasury will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the government's fiscal inheritance. She underlined that the government continues to rule out fresh tax rises or large-scale spending splurges. ' We face a legacy of 14 years of chaos and economic irresponsibility. That is why, over the past weekend, I directed Treasury officials to deliver an assessment of the condition of our spending,' Reeves said in a speech at the Treasury in...
Mergers The Commission approved purchase of joint control of a fibre-to-the-home network from Digi Spain Telecom, S. L. U. by Sota Investments ( UK) Holdco Limited and Aberdeen Infrastructure IV- A, B. V.......
In April, Barclays lodged a bid for a judicial review of the Ombudsman’s ruling that its car finance arm had improperly paid a broker commission. The customer involved did not know any commission had been paid. To reach a judicial review hearing, the bank must first secure leave from the High Court. The FOS is thought to be opposing the application. A spokesperson stressed that borrowers taking out motor finance must be treated fairly, with complete clarity over the costs. They added that the service has now heard from over 30,000 individuals worried they were overcharged for their finance......
Note: the CPRC has stopped sharing the underpinning papers alongside the minutes; accordingly, this News Analysis is not accompanied by documents elucidating the discussions. A copy of the minutes is available here: Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting. Welcome, action log and matters arising (item 1 and 2) The CPRC approved the minutes of its annual public meeting held on 12 April 2024—see News Analysis: Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—12 April 2024. The following matters were discussed: Online Procedure Rule Committee ( OPRC)—although formally launched in November 2023, a statutory instrument defining the proceedings within which it may set rules still requires Parliamentary approval and is not expected to take effect until the autumn small claims track automatic referral to mediation pilot— CPR PD 51ZE commenced on 22 May 2024 within the 166th Practice Direction update. The pilot will route eligible civil money...
HMRC v Mr Taher Suterwalla and Mrs Zahra Suterwalla [2024] UKUT 188 ( TCC) The taxpayers purchased a family home incorporating an indoor swimming pool, gardens that included a pavilion and a tennis court, and a paddock. On the same day as the acquisition (but following completion), they granted a one‑year grazing lease of the paddock to a neighbour for rent of £1,000 per annum. The FTT concluded that the paddock was not part of the grounds of the house and, as a result, the subject matter of the acquisition overall encompassed land that was not residential, so the generally lower mixed‑use rates of SDLT applied to the transaction. HMRC appealed to the UT on the basis that the FTT erred by taking the grazing lease into account when assessing whether the paddock was part of the grounds of the house and, in the...
What are the practical implications of this case? HMRC began enquiries into the taxpayer’s returns for 2015/16 and 2016/17, and in October 2021 it served an information notice. That notice requested information and documents across twelve categories, including: Bank statements and accounts for a Hong Kong company where the taxpayer had been a director Bank statements for a US account with Chase, together with details of any other overseas accounts Correspondence and information about a loan to the taxpayer used to invest in a company The taxpayer appealed. What was the background? The FTT first examined whether any of the material sought by the notice amounted to statutory records (for which there is no right of appeal). It found that none did. Although certain items had been statutory records originally......
Cooke v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2024] UKFTT 272 ( TC) What are the practical implications of this case? Cooke (and the earlier authority it followed, Lobler [2015] UKUT 152) is very good news for clients (and advisers) whose paperwork fails to capture their commercial intention because of a mistake. It illustrates the FTT’s readiness to employ, in an indirect way, the equitable remedy of rectification to amend documents to favourable effect, even where the principal outcome is a tax saving. The FTT lacks the jurisdiction to order rectification. Nevertheless, Cooke exemplifies the principle that, if the Tribunal is satisfied that, were appropriate proceedings issued in the High Court, the High Court would grant rectification, then the Tribunal ought to proceed as though such rectification had been granted. The threshold for concluding that the High Court ‘would order’...
Some of the world’s largest carmakers now face actions from 1.5m drivers over alleged manipulation of emissions testing. Yet Judge Adam Constable, sitting with Senior Costs Judge Andrew Gordon- Saker, condemned the claimants’ legal spend as ‘staggering’ and ‘frankly absurd’. According to the ruling, the amounts advanced by both sides—especially by the claimants—bore no sensible relation to the work genuinely required if done efficiently and without duplication. The bench slashed the claimants’ projected costs from £208m to £52m, while the defendants’ budget was cut from £211m to £114m. A request for comment from the claimants’ representatives went unanswered. While the court accepted the scale and intricacy of proceedings against 16 major manufacturers, among them Mercedes, Ford and Nissan, it concluded that the work underway was laden with charges that could not properly be justified......
R (on the application of Trevor Donald) v Secretary of State for the Home Department ( Black Equity Organisation and others intervening) [2024] EWHC 1492 ( Admin) What are the practical implications of this case? This judgment is essential reading for practitioners in discrimination and public law. It offers a clear synopsis of the legal framework and a careful application of the prohibition on indirect discrimination, as well as Thlimmenos v Greece [2000] ECHR 34369/97 discrimination under Article 14 ECHR, the safeguarding of a substantive legitimate expectation, the situations in which consultation of stakeholders is required, and the duty of inquiry. Contribution to discrimination caselaw This judgment significantly enriches the developing corpus of discrimination caselaw. The analysis on justification is of particular significance. The court was required to wrestle with the extent of the ‘margin of appreciation’ to be accorded to government when settling matters of policy, and with the...
The Royal Institute of British Architects ( RIBA) has issued a new Building Regulations Principal Designer Professional Services Contract. This article reviews its contents and, in particular, how it addresses the newly imposed duties on Principal Designers under the Building Regulations 2010 (the Building Regulations), SI 2010/2214, Pt 2A. Suitability From the outset, the document explains when the contract should, and should not, be adopted. Although its primary purpose is to appoint a Principal Designer to meet obligations under Part 2A of the Building Regulations, it is equally framed for commissions on commercial projects of any scale, let under any procurement route—including design and build before novation—where construction works will proceed on either bespoke or standard form contracts. It is therefore not intended for domestic clients. The contract further identifies the business clients it is aimed at, which can include: charities ...
Mergers CMA publishes final decisions relating to reviews of three sets of merger undertakings and one market investigation order The CMA has issued its final decisions to: release undertakings in lieu of reference from August 2011 concerning the acquisition by Acergy SA of Subsea 7 Inc. release undertakings in lieu of reference from August 2008 relating to the acquisition by Home Retail Group plc of 27 leasehold properties from Focus ( DIY) Ltd release undertakings provided in February 2002 by Lloyds TSB Group plc regarding its acquisition of Abbey National plc revoke the Energy Market Investigation ( ECOES/ DES) Order 2016 The CMA concluded that, due to changes in circumstance, each of these remedies is no longer appropriate and should therefore be released (for the undertakings) and revoked (for the order). See further, final...
Abbey Healthcare ( Mill Hill) Ltd v Augusta 2008 LLP (formerly Simply Construct ( UK) LLP) [2024] UKSC 23 What are the practical implications of this case? The court considered whether a contractor’s collateral warranty qualifies as a ‘construction contract’ under HGCRA 1996, s 104, thereby conferring a statutory right to adjudicate under HGCRA 1996, s 108. That status depended on whether the warranty was a contract ‘for... the carrying out of construction operations’ within HGCRA 1996, s 104(1)(a). The decision confirms that: a collateral warranty will only be a construction contract under HGCRA 1996, s 104(1)(a) where the contractor undertakes to the beneficiary an obligation to perform construction operations that is separate or distinct from its obligation to do so under the related building contract (or other appointment) a collateral warranty that simply warrants the contractor’s performance of its obligations to the employer under the...
Jelly Vine Productions Ltd v HMRC [2024] UKFTT 562 ( TC) The taxpayer aimed to sidestep a full hearing by seeking an initial ruling on whether HMRC’s determinations could be contested as a preliminary issue. HMRC had concluded that Jeremy Vine’s BBC engagements between 1 July 2013 and 30 December 2015, on shows including Eggheads and Points of View, fell within the IR35 intermediaries regime ( ITEPA 2003, ss 48–61). While enquiries were still in progress, HMRC issued protective determinations: for income tax under the Income Tax ( Pay As You Earn) Regulations 2003, reg 80, and for National Insurance under the Social Security Contributions ( Transfer of Functions etc) Act 1999, s 8. The HMRC officer qualified those determinations, explaining that there were not yet sufficient facts to form an opinion on employment status and that the assessments did not indicate the stage...
Q& A: Property owned by A and B as tenants in common raises a query. Although B retains capacity, they wish A to act on their behalf under a lasting power of attorney, with A appointed as the sole attorney. If a second trustee is brought in, does this amount to a proper disposition and a valid receipt clause capable of overreaching the form A restriction? For the purposes of this scenario, assume A and B are joint holders of the legal title to the property, which they keep as tenants in common. B has named A as their attorney through a property and financial affairs lasting power of attorney ( LPA). The general position is that any trustee functions delegated to an attorney must accord with the requirements of section 25 of the Trustee Act 1925 ( TA 1925)......
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade v Anderson [2024] EWHC 1090 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? Using BBL and CBIL funds for aims not permitted under the schemes’ terms, on its own, can be enough to ground a finding of misconduct and demonstrate unfitness leading to disqualification......
On 8 July 2024, the Treasury, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities ( DLUHC) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero issued a joint policy statement on onshore wind (the Policy Statement), anchored by a pledge to ‘double onshore wind energy by 2030’. It outlined immediate steps to lift the de facto restriction on onshore wind in England and to amend planning policy so that onshore wind is treated on a par with other energy development in the NPPF. That same day, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered a speech underscoring the central role of planning reform in the government’s programme to rebuild Britain’s economy (see: LNB News 08/07/2024 24), declaring an end to the ‘absurd ban on new onshore wind in England’ and launching a consultation on reinstating onshore wind within the nationally...
Re a company [2024] EWHC 1070 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling materially simplifies, in practical terms, the enforcement of foreign judgment debts in England and Wales by permitting creditors to commence insolvency proceedings as the chosen route. There is no longer any necessity to pursue registration, or to obtain prior recognition of the relevant foreign judgment at the outset. It also clarifies and affirms that the conclusions reached in Valeriy Ernestovich Drelle v Servis- Terminal LLC [2024] EWHC 521 ( Ch)—namely, that an unrecognised or unregistered foreign judgment can properly found a bankruptcy petition—apply with equal force in the corporate sphere. Taken together, this provides judgment creditors with an extra enforcement pathway that is potentially quicker, procedurally more direct, and more cost-effective to deploy. What was the background? In late 2010, the respondent obtained a Lebanese judgment for...
Mergers The Commission approved: the attainment of joint control over Solvares Group Gmb H by Cheetah, Investment SARL and Five Arrows Principal Investments IV Funds ( M.11566) following a phase I investigation—see further in Midday Express the assumption of sole control of KIKO S.p. A. by L Catterton Management Limited ( M.11574) following a phase I investigation—see further in Midday Express the taking of sole control of Greenergy Halo Holdings III Limited by Trafigura Group Pte......
Neil Bull, executive director of market oversight at TPR, said the regulator is widening its supervision of retirement plans, concentrating on their investments, data quality and standards. He noted it will begin examining closely how a master trust’s investment approach serves savers—and will put providers under scrutiny. TPR will look into how a master trust aims to achieve the strongest long‑term returns, Bull added, and will scrutinise its investment governance and investment decision‑making. Bull also said the regulator will request ‘deep dives’ into the systems that master trusts use......
DRAFT Practice Direction: Panel composition in the Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal (29 October 2024) What are the practical implications of this development? The consultation’s conclusion appears less far-reaching than many anticipated. Rather than fixing a default by case type, or excising non-legal members from employment tribunal hearings altogether, the Senior President has chosen to have no default at all on panel composition for final hearings. Thus, whether a matter to be determined at a final hearing is listed before a judge sitting alone or a full panel (ie a judge with two non-legal members ( NLMs)) will be decided case by case. This stance applies to all substantive final hearings, not only those currently heard by a full panel. It remains unclear what proportion of final hearings will fall into each category. However, the consultation response’s reference to NLMs being used only where...
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When evaluating a general damages claim, the practitioner ought initially to refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)...
This Practice Note This Practice Note reviews mechanisms used in settling litigation. A Tomlin order consists of a consent order paired with a schedule. It operates to stay proceedings on terms that have been agreed. The provisions contained in the schedule may remain confidential. This Practice Note describes the scope of confidentiality attaching to the schedule and sets out how it differs from a standard consent order. Sample wording for a Tomlin order is included, alongside links to precedents, as well as guidance on court approval. It also addresses varying, setting aside and enforcing a Tomlin order, including the considerations the court will take into account when handling applications for each. Further guidance is provided on interpreting and applying the relevant provisions of the CPR; however, some courts and divisions impose very specific requirements for both drafting and approval, and for approaching the schedule and confidentiality issues. Accordingly, you must consider the particular rules and court guide provisions in the forum where your claim is proceeding when drawing up the Tomlin order...
Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...
I, [ name ], of [ address ], solemnly and sincerely state that: [ Matters to be verified, set out in numbered paragraphs ] I make this solemn statement in good conscience, believing it to be true, and pursuant to the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. DECLARED at [ details ] this [ day ] day of [ month and year ] Before me ................................................................................ [ signature of the person before whom the declaration is made ] A [ commissioner for oaths OR [ solicitor OR [ insert other qualification ] ] authorised to administer oaths ]...
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