New Judgment: Whittington Hospital NHS Trust v XX [2020] UKSC 14 – UKSC Blog

Posted April 6th, 2020 in appeals, cancer, damages, hospitals, negligence, news, pregnancy, Supreme Court, surrogacy by sally

‘The claimant in this case had a number of cervical smear tests carried out. Each test was negligently reported to the effect that the hospital failed to detect her cervical cancer, leaving her infertile. Before having chemo-radiotheraphy, the claimant had 8 eggs collected and frozen. She sought to have four children and her preference was for surrogacy arrangements in California on a commercial basis. The present appeal concerned the damages payable for the loss of her ability to have her own child. The High Court had dismissed the claimant’s claim for commercial surrogacy in California as contrary to public policy, and held that surrogacy using donor eggs was not restorative of the claimant’s fertility but allowed damags for own-egg surrogacies in the UK. The Court of Appeal found in favour of the claimant. The hospital appealed to the Supreme Court.’

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UKSC Blog, 1st April 2020

Source: ukscblog.com

New Judgment: Barclays Bank Plc v Various Claimants [2020] UKSC 13 – UKSC Blog

‘In this appeal, the Supreme Court is asked to decide whether Barclays Bank is vicariously liable for sexual assaults allegedly committed between 1968 and about 1984 by the late Dr Gordon Bates. Dr Bates was a self-employed medical practitioner with a portfolio practice. His work included conducting medical assessments and examinations of prospective Barclays employees. Barclays required job applicants to pass a pre-employment medical examination as part of its recruitment and employment procedures.’

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UKSC Blog, 1st April 2020

Source: ukscblog.com

Home Secretary may not detain on basis of invalid deportation decision – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In R (DN – Rwanda) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] UKSC 7, the Supreme Court held that the Claimant was entitled to purse a claim for unlawful detention on the basis that the decision to detain for the purposes of deportation could not be separated from the decision to deport. Accordingly, if the decision to deport was unlawful, then so inevitably was the decision to detain.

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UK Human Rights Blog, 3rd April 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK woman wins claim for NHS to pay US surrogacy costs – The Guardian

Posted April 2nd, 2020 in cancer, children, damages, hospitals, negligence, news, pregnancy, surrogacy by sally

‘A woman who wants to have surrogate children through commercial agreements in California has won her claim that the NHS should pay for the treatment.’

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The Guardian, 1st April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Barclays not liable for alleged sexual assaults during medicals, court rules – The Guardian

‘Barclays is not liable for the alleged sexual assault of more than 100 patients by a doctor carrying out medicals on the bank’s behalf, the supreme court has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 1st April 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Do Medical Practitioners have a duty to disclose Genetic Disorders despite the Principles of Confidentiality? – Exchange Chambers

‘An analysis of the ethical and legal considerations underpinning a decision to inform a patient’s relatives about a diagnosis of a genetic disorder in light of the recent judgment handed down in ABC v St Georges Healthcare and Others [2020] EWHC 455 (QB).’

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Exchange Chambers, 25th March 2020

Source: www.exchangechambers.co.uk

High Court orders disclosure of DBA and funding – Litigation Futures

Posted March 30th, 2020 in damages, disclosure, limitations, news, third parties by sally

‘The High Court has ordered the claimants in a major group action to disclose details of both the damages-based agreement (DBA) and third-party funding arrangements they have entered into.’

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Litigation Futures, 30th March 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Patient confidentiality – to breach or not to breach? – No. 5 Chambers

‘In 2007 C’s father (XX) killed his wife, C’s mother. He was made the subject of a hospital order. He was treated by D1’s multidisciplinary team. In 2009 his care was transferred to Dr O, a consultant forensic psychiatrist. C took part in family therapy sessions through D2. There was a suspicion that XX had Huntington’s disease but he refused to undergo genetic testing. He did not want C or her sister to know. His patient confidentiality was respected by D1 and D2. About this time C became pregnant. In 2013 C tested positive for Huntington’s. C was accidentally informed that XX had tested positive.’

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No. 5 Chambers, 10th March 2020

Source: www.no5.com

Victory in false imprisonment action challenging the lawfulness of Home Office Iraqi removal exercise – Garden Court Chambers

‘QA, an Iraqi national and a vulnerable at risk adult was detained on 27 March 2017 to enable his inclusion in a new Iraqi documentation and removal exercise. Following detention he was held for 4 months, whilst repeated attempts were made to remove him, over which time he consistently expressed suicidal thoughts, engaged in self-harm and attempted suicide on at least two occasions.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 2nd March 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Employment Tribunal awards whistleblowing doctor £857,000 – Local Government Lawyer

‘A doctor who lost his job after making whistleblowing disclosures has been awarded more than £857,000 by an Employment Tribunal.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 19th March 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Dishonesty “doesn’t need to persist” to be fundamental – Litigation Futures

‘A recorder was wrong to find that a personal injury claimant was not fundamentally dishonest because he did not persist with his dishonesty, the High Court has decided.’

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Litigation Futures, 16th March 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Yuanda v Multiplex – “ascertaining” damages pre-adjudication under ABI bond – Practical Law Construction Blog

Posted March 5th, 2020 in construction industry, contracts, damages, guarantees, news by sally

‘The TCC has just handed down judgment in Yuanda (UK) Company Ltd v Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd and another, which will be of interest to the construction industry as it deals with how ABI-type performance bonds operate.’

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Practical Law Construction Blog, 4th March 2020

Source: constructionblog.practicallaw.com

Oh! What a tangled web we weave… – Nearly Legal

Posted March 4th, 2020 in company directors, damages, fines, housing, landlord & tenant, licensing, news by sally

‘In the case of Lifestyle Club Ltd, and its director, Gian Paulo Aliatis, that is what eventually happened in August 2019, with a £42,273 penalty in fines and costs (despite their policy of targeting overseas students as potential tenants on the basis that they wouldn’t understand the legal problems – this targeting is standard for all these ‘accommodation club’ companies). Unsurprisingly, Lifestyle Club Ltd opted for voluntary strike off of the Companies House register during the prosecution, in February 2019.’

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Nearly Legal, 3rd March 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

County Court considers costs rules in personal injury case (Khan v Aviva Insurance Ltd) – Hardwicke Chambers

Posted March 3rd, 2020 in civil procedure rules, costs, county courts, damages, news, personal injuries by sally

‘Practitioners will be familiar with cases where costs are assessed according to the principles applicable in different tracks. In such circumstances, Khan v Aviva is of practical assistance by reaffirming the court’s general discretion to award issue-based costs, despite the presence of more restrictive costs regimes. The case therefore provides a helpful route to resisting adverse costs orders.’

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Hardwicke Chambers, 21st February 2020

Source: hardwicke.co.uk

Significant unlawful eviction case exposes the use of sham letting agreements by landlord companies in London – Garden Court Chambers

Posted February 26th, 2020 in chambers articles, damages, harassment, housing, landlord & tenant, news, repossession by sally

‘Tim Baldwin represented the Claimant, Noelia Del Rio Sanchez a University Student, on 10th and 11th February 2020 in a successful claim for unlawful eviction from and harassment at her accommodation in Brent by her former landlord, Simple Properties Management Limited. She secured general damages, special damages, damages for harassment, aggravated and exemplary damages of over £54,000. In addition the judge, HHJ Clarke, awarded costs against the landlords on an indemnity basis and an interim payment of £24,000 towards the costs.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 25th February 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Cardiff woman wins £400k in DWP race discrimination row – BBC News

Posted February 25th, 2020 in age discrimination, damages, government departments, news, race discrimination by sally

‘The Department for Work and Pensions has been ordered to pay out nearly £400,000 after a Cardiff woman won her claim for race and age discrimination.’

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BBC News, 25th February 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Conceptualising damages for housing conditions – they don’t add up – Nearly Legal

Posted February 25th, 2020 in damages, housing, landlord & tenant, news by sally

‘General damages will take two forms. The first, and probably least controversial, is that the tenant is not to be required to contribute towards the costs of the remedial works and, to the extent that there might be a contractual obligation to do so (e.g. by way of a service charge) damages need to be awarded: see Rendlesham Estates Plc v Barr Ltd [2014] EWHC 3968 (TCC), (2015) 1 WLR 3663 (a Defective Premises Act 1972 claim) and Daejan Properties Ltd v Griffin (2014) UKUT 0206 (LC) (a long leasehold service charge case).’

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Nearly Legal, 23rd February 2020

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Out of the Ordinary: Rob Hunter and Bethany Sanders on the Courts’ Approach to Life Expectancy Evidence – Devereux Chambers

Posted February 21st, 2020 in chambers articles, damages, expert witnesses, news, personal injuries by sally

‘In this December article for Personal Injury Focus, Devereux’s Rob Hunter and Bethany Sanders of Leigh Day explore the complexity of life expectancy evidence, providing background, comment, and practice advice on the issue.’

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Devereux Chambers, 14th February 2020

Source: www.devereuxchambers.co.uk

Fatal Accident Act Apportionment – a pragmatic solution to an unusual problem? – 12 King’s Bench Walk

Posted February 21st, 2020 in accidents, apportionment, bereavement, chambers articles, children, damages, families, news by sally

‘The decision of Master Cook in ARN v Ageas Insurance Ltd (27/1/2020), when approving a Fatal Accident Act settlement involving four children, provides a novel and pragmatic solution to a difficult apportionment problem. A single mother was killed in a road traffic accident, leaving four young children. The children were the deceased’s only dependants and their claim was settled for a substantial lump sum.’

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12 King's Bench Walk, 13th February 2020

Source: www.12kbw.co.uk

MoJ rules out any major changes to bereavement damages system – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 13th, 2020 in accidents, bereavement, damages, news, personal injuries by sally

‘The government has confirmed it has no plans to look more widely at the system for awarding bereavement damages to relatives.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 13th February 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk