Vitol Bahrain EC v Nasdec General Trading LLC and others [2013] All ER (D) 38 (Nov)
Queen’s Bench Division, Commercial Court, Males J, 5 November 2013
The Commercial Court will not assess costs summarily in disproportionate amounts merely because the figures on both sides are broadly comparable. Control will be exercised to ensure that the costs claimed from the unsuccessful party are reasonable and proportionate.
James Collins QC (instructed by Stephenson Harwood) for the claimant. Robert Thomas QC (instructed by Transport Law Ltd) for the defendants.
On 1 November 2013 the court handed down judgment declining to continue an anti-suit injunction granted without notice by Cooke J in May 2013 to restrain the second and third defendants (the defendants) from seeking to join the claimant to proceedings in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The instant case concerned the assessment of costs.
Males J
His lordship had decided to take time to consider his summary assessment of the defendants’ costs because the amounts claimed in the statements
