header-logo header-logo

25 June 2010 / Ian Smith
Issue: 7423 / Categories: Features , Employment
printer mail-detail

New rules for old?

Ian Smith reports on a case which could open up a pallet of worms

Every now and then when reading a case you start to feel, in the words of that great Irish jurist Terry Wogan, “Is it me?”. In other words, is it genuinely strange, or am I missing something?

The most positive thing to say about Edwards v Chesterfield Royal Hospital Trust [2010] EWCA Civ 571, [2010] All ER (D) 247 (May) is that permission is being sought to appeal to the Supreme Court; it is to be hoped that it will be granted because as it stands this decision could open up a veritable pallet of cans of worms, without it being too obvious on what basis.

To be fair, one problem was that the appeal took the form of an appeal against a striking out application (rather than a final judgment on the facts) which can often complicate matters and, moreover, it appears that the original grounds of appeal (on whether Art 6 of the European Convention on Human

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

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Carey Olsen—Patrick Ormond

Partner joinscorporate and finance practice in British Virgin Islands

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Dawson Cornwell—Naomi Angell

Firm strengthens children department with adoption and surrogacy expert

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Penningtons Manches Cooper—Graham Green

Media and technology expert joins employment team as partner in Cambridge

NEWS
Freezing orders in divorce proceedings can unexpectedly ensnare third parties and disrupt businesses. In NLJ this week, Lucy James of Trowers & Hamlins explains how these orders—dubbed a ‘nuclear weapon’—preserve assets but can extend far beyond spouses to companies and business partners 
A Court of Appeal ruling has clarified that ‘rent’ must be monetary—excluding tenants paid in labour from statutory protection. In this week's NLJ, James Naylor explains Garraway v Phillips, where a tenant worked two days a week instead of paying rent
Thousands more magistrates are to be recruited, under a major shake-up to speed up and expand the hiring process
The winners of the LexisNexis Legal Awards 2026 have now been announced, marking another outstanding celebration of excellence, innovation, and impact across the legal profession
Three men wrongly imprisoned for a combined 77 years have been released—yet received ‘not a penny’ in compensation, exposing deep flaws in the justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Jon Robins reports on Justin Plummer, Oliver Campbell and Peter Sullivan, whose convictions collapsed amid discredited forensics, ‘oppressive’ police interviews and unreliable ‘cell confessions’
back-to-top-scroll