Practice—Relief from sanction—CPR 3.9

Queen’s Bench Division, Commercial Court, Hamblen J, 6 February 2014

The Commercial Court has considered the effect of Mitchell v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 1537. As a general rule, relief will not be granted against sanction unless (i) the non-compliance was trivial or (ii) there was good reason for the default.

Richard Slade QC and Edward Harrison (instructed by Holman Fenwick Willan LLP) for the claimant. Stephen Cogley QC and Peter Ferrer (instructed by Stephenson Harwood LLP) for the first and third defendants.

The claimant supplied oil products to the first defendant, an Iranian-owned company engaged in trading oil and gasoline related products. The first defendant made certain advance payments, but failed to pay the full amount due for the cargoes, which were sold elsewhere. The second defendant was said to be the commercial manager and shareholder of the first defendant. The third defendant was said to be a board member