header-logo header-logo

Costs—Commercial Court—Summary assessment

15 November 2013
Issue: 7584 / Categories: Case law , Law reports , In Court
printer mail-detail

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

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

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
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
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
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
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
back-to-top-scroll