Local Authority
Find out more about DWF's Local Authority litigation team.
CN v Poole Borough Council: unanimous Supreme Court decision changes the landscape for failure to remove claims
Paul Donnelly and David Weir consider the implications of the decision handed down yesterday by the Supreme Court in Poole Borough Council v CN (2019)
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No vicarious liability for Christmas party accident
It was only last year that the Court of Appeal considered the issue of vicarious liability following an assault after a Christmas party in Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Ltd (2018). This month, the…
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Failure to establish fundamental dishonesty shows pitfalls to be avoided
The decision by HHJ Hampton in the Leicester County Court in Spencer Smith v Ashwell Maintenance Limited on 23 January 2019 just over a year after the LOCOG v Sinfield (2018) decision has raised more…
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Claimant limited to portal costs following unreasonable exit from portal
DWF has successfully restricted a claimant to fixed portal costs following a premature decision to remove the claim from the MoJ portal. Sukhjit Dhadwal, who represented the defendant Local Authority…
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Japanese knotweed: actionable claim in private nuisance
In 2018, the Court of Appeal upheld the County Court decision in Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd v Williamsand another, that Network Rail had caused an actionable private nuisance by failing to take…
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Housing disrepair claims on the rise
There has been an unprecedented surge in the number of housing claims where it is alleged the property is in disrepair, resulting in extensive financial exposure to private landlords, local…
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Highways: the power of data in s.41 disputes
Caroline Sanders acted for Surrey County Council in Surrey County Council v Hillard on their successful appeal against a district judge's decision that it was in breach of s.41 Highways Act 1980,…
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Court of Appeal finds vicarious liability for violence of managing director during aftermath of company's Christmas party
Earlier this month the Court of Appeal handed down judgment in Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Ltd (2018). Samantha Chambers and Paul Donnelly consider the implications of the judgment which…
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Vicarious liability and independent contractors
Vicarious liability has regularly been under the spotlight recently. Sheryl Bignell and Paul Donnelly look at the Court of Appeal's decision which clarifies that following repeated extensions to the…
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No extension of duty for control of roadside vegetation
Gabriel Fay reviews this sensible and useful decision for highway authorities and other landowners. In Sumner v Colborne, Denbighshire County Council and The Welsh Ministers, the Court of Appeal…
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