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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

WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

Commercial property and child law teams expand with senior hires

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Set expands London and Singapore offering with senior international disputes hires

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Firm strengthens real estate and litigation teams with partner promotions

NEWS
Uber has built a formidable strategy for insulating itself from liability for drivers’ conduct, but the legal terrain differs sharply between the US and England and Wales
The Civil Justice Council’s review of Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974 could mark the end of what one commentator calls an ‘outdated’ and overly technical regime governing solicitor-client fee disputes
The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 marks a constitutional watershed by severing the centuries-old link between hereditary titles and automatic membership of the upper chamber
Artificial intelligence, proportionality and public decision-making are under increasing judicial scrutiny, according to the latest public law round-up from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Families relying on informal agreements over property ownership could face costly consequences if disputes arise, the High Court has warned
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