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Law in 101 words

20 May 2010 / Roderick Ramage
Issue: 7418 / Categories: Blogs
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Snippets from The Reduced Law Dictionary by Roderick Ramage

Absurdity, doctrine of

In Grundt v Great Boulder Proprietary Gold Mines Ltd [1948], CA, Lord Greene said that absurdity, like public policy, is “a very unruly horse”, and arguments based on it should be applied with caution. This doctrine did not prevent the plaintiff, a director, from keeping his post, when, on his retirement by rotation, the motion to re-elect him was defeated. The company’s articles provided that such a director would continue in office until the vacancy was filled or the number of directors was reduced; and no one was elected in his place and no resolution was proposed to reduce that number.

Indemnity costs

The West Wirral Conservative Association was riven. In one camp was Mr Calver and in the other Mr Noorani. N sued C for defamation about a letter, in which C wrote that he had received silent phone calls and calls threatening physical violence, and, without naming N, implied that he was responsible. An acquaintance of N confessed

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