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12 August 2022 / Stephen Gold
Issue: 7991 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Civil way
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Civil way: 12 August 2022

Covid rent; Damp pays; Heavy breathing; New court; Acting for both sides; Permission for absence

LJJs AT THE MOVIES

Cinema lessees have failed in their attempts to avoid liability for rent during closure of their premises which could not be used because of the pandemic. In Bank of New York Mellon (International) Ltd v Cine-UK Ltd and another case [2022] EWCA CIV 1021, [2022] All ER (D) 10 (Aug) the Court of Appeal rejected arguments that implied terms and failure of basis (formerly known as failure of consideration) let the lessees off the hook.


DAMP UPLIFT

General (not special) damages for breach of a repairing covenant do attract a 10% Simmons v Castle uplift (by way of compensation for the success fee which the claimant tenant’s lawyer is entitled to be paid by their client but which cannot be recovered from the landlord). That was Khan v Mehmood [2022] EWCA Civ 79.


PHEW X 63,864

One in 736 adults entered a breathing space moratorium under the debt respite scheme

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

NLJ Career Profile: Daniel Burbeary, Michelman Robinson

NLJ Career Profile: Daniel Burbeary, Michelman Robinson

Daniel Burbeary, office managing partner of Michelman Robinson, discusses launching in London, the power of the law, and what the kitchen can teach us about litigating

Joelson—Jennifer Mansoor

Joelson—Jennifer Mansoor

West End firm strengthens employment and immigration team with partner hire

Sidley—Jeremy Trinder

Sidley—Jeremy Trinder

Global finance group strengthened by returning partner in London

NEWS
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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