header-logo header-logo

Alleged dried flower cartel is grounded

23 April 2009
Issue: 7366 / Categories: Legal News , Competition
printer mail-detail

Competition

The High Court has struck out a representative action regarding an alleged air cargo cartel.

In Emerald and others v British Airways [2009] EWHC 741 (Ch), the claimant imported dried flowers from Columbia and Kenya using the air freight services of the defendant. Emerald alleged the defendant had been party to price-fixing agreements.

Emerald’s claim was brought under CPR 19.6 on behalf of two named claimants, who were said to represent all other purchasers affected by the alleged cartel. CPR 19.6 regulates the ability of a claimant to sue on behalf of himself and others. However, the Chancellor, Sir Andrew Morritt, struck out the representative aspect of the claim. Morritt C upheld BA’s argument that the “other persons” with “the same interests” whom the claimants claimed to represent did not share the same interests, which meant the claimants failed to satisfy the requirements of CPR 19.6. Further, the broad scope of the claim made it all the more important to be able to identify the parties who could be included in the claim at the outset, he said.

In his judgment, Morritt C says: “The mere fact that in this case the relevant class is both numerous and geographically widely spread is not of itself an objection to a representative action. Nevertheless the more extensive the class the more clearly should the other preconditions be satisfied.”

Issue: 7366 / Categories: Legal News , Competition
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Writing in NLJ this week, Thomas Rothwell and Kavish Shah of Falcon Chambers unpack the surprise inclusion of a ban on upwards-only rent reviews in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll