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Civil Way: 11 December 2020

10 December 2020
Issue: 7914 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Civil way
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Pt 36 is juicy: official; New debt moratoria; Waking up to a mistake; Beware whiplash reforms; Prepare for higher court fees

ALL OR NOTHING

A judgment which beats a Pt 36 offer bears four juicy fruits, unless that would be unjust. In Telefonica UK Ltd v The Office of Communications [2020] EWCA Civ 1374, [2020] All ER (D) 55 (Nov), the mobile network operating claimant seeking restitution of annual licence fees paid to Ofcom had made a pre-action Pt 36 offer for a cool £52.82m principal as against a judgment for over £54m, in which interest also figured. The judge awarded two of the fruits, to wit indemnity costs from 21 days after the offer and an additional amount at the capped £75,000. However, he decided against the other two enhancements of interest on the principal and the costs (above the agreed commercial rate of 2% over base) which cannot exceed 10% above base. In relation to enhanced interest on the principal award and the judge’s reasoning that such an award would have

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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
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