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07 February 2008 / David O'mahoney
Issue: 7307 / Categories: Features , Public , Procedure & practice , Profession
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Asset protection

Should freezing orders prohibit banks enhancing the value of protected assets? David O’Mahony reports

 

Freezing orders are a feature of both criminal and civil litigation. Their obvious purpose is to preserve assets so that there is something against which a final order can be enforced. The sanctions for breach of the order are provided by the law on contempt of court. But in common form, freezing orders prohibit “dealing” with assets.
 
DEALING WITH ASSETS
Although some comments in the Court of Appeal in Z Ltd v A-Z and AA-LL [1982] QB 558, [1982] 1 All ER 556 led to a very cautious attitude by those giving advice on what conduct constituted a breach of the no dealing aspect of freezing orders, the Court of Appeal in Law Society v Shanks [1988] 1 FLR 504 and Bank Mellat v Kazmi [1989] QB 541, [1989] 1 All ER 925 decided that it would not be a breach to hand assets to a person to whom a freezing order was directed, provided
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft strengthens Scottish real estate capabilitywith partner appointment

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Brendan Ryan as partner in Public Law Projects team

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers welcomes five new barristers

NEWS
A time-restricted bank tax, a ‘roadmap to fiscal devolution’, extension to parental leave, entrepreneur’s relief and a giveaway on energy bills for households are the headlines in Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey’s 2026 Autumn Budget
A Court of Appeal judge has lamented the ‘very concerning’ state of the law on employee inventor compensation after a chemist’s case took five-and-a-half years to reach court, eventually being listed for a 37-day trial next year
The Law Society has emphasised that responsibility remains human, in a practice note on artificial intelligence (AI)
Respect orders, which enable police, councils, housing associations, transport networks and other authorities to take enforcement action against anti-social behaviour, have come into force across England and Wales
The Land Registry has launched two consultations aimed at making its information more publicly accessible, ‘Restructuring HM Land Registry fees’, and ‘Future of access to HM Land Registry information’
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