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30 January 2026 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 8147 / Categories: Features , Public , Contempt , Liability , Tort
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How not to ignore a court order

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Persistence pays (eventually): Dominic Regan charts the course of a long-running David vs Goliath story

The judiciary has a sneaking admiration for plucky individuals who fearfully litigate despite having an opponent with bottomless pockets and the finest lawyers. In Ferguson v British Gas Trading Ltd [2009] EWCA Civ 46, the claimant took on British Gas. ‘It is one of the glories of this country that every now and then one of its citizens is prepared to take a stand against the big battalions of government or industry’, observed Lord Justice Jacob. The claimant ended her gas supply contract with the defendant, which continued to bombard her with bills. The defendant then threatened to report her to a credit rating agency. The claimant sued. The defendant failed to get the claim struck out: the court thought she had a good claim.

Legal skirmishes

Now in the spotlight is Nadine Buzzard-Quashie, who has given the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police and his team a sound thrashing. I thought

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Keystone Law—Milena Szuniewicz-Wenzel & Ian Hopkinson

Keystone Law—Milena Szuniewicz-Wenzel & Ian Hopkinson

International arbitration team strengthened by double partner hire

Coodes Solicitors—Pam Johns, Rachel Pearce & Bradley Kaine

Coodes Solicitors—Pam Johns, Rachel Pearce & Bradley Kaine

Firm celebrates trio holding senior regional law society and junior lawyers division roles

Michelman Robinson—Sukhi Kaler

Michelman Robinson—Sukhi Kaler

Partner joins commercial and business litigation team in London

NEWS
The government has pledged to ‘move fast’ to protect children from harm caused by artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, and could impose limits on social media as early as the summer
All eyes will be on the Court of Appeal (or its YouTube livestream) next week as it sits to consider the controversial Mazur judgment
An NHS Foundation Trust breached a consultant’s contract by delegating an investigation into his knowledge of nurse Lucy Letby’s case
Draft guidance for schools on how to support gender-questioning pupils provides ‘more clarity’, but headteachers may still need legal advice, an education lawyer has said
Litigation funder Innsworth Capital, which funded behemoth opt-out action Merricks v Mastercard, can bring a judicial review, the High Court ruled last week
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