Articles

WM Morrisons Supermarkets plc v Various Claimants - [2020] UKSC 12
 
The Supreme Court held that there was no vicarious liability for a 'personal vendetta' by one of of the supermarket company's former employees.
Lord Reed concluded that motive was not irrelevant (and the distinction between acting on his employer’s business or for purely personal reasons was highly relevant). The Supreme Court concluded that the mere fact of employment giving someone an opportunity to do something is not sufficient to impose vicarious liability.

SMO v Hywel Dda University Health Board [2020] EWHC 727 (QB)
 
The Court found in favour of the claimant, a consultant surgeon, to restrain the defendant from continuing a working relationships investigation into his alleged conduct, competence or behaviour, whilst carrying out disciplinary proceedings in parallel.

COVID-19 = Barder Event?
The discussion, by James Legg

3PB's specialist family law barrister Hamish Dunlop authors Divorce for a modern age: The divorce, dissolution and separation bill [HL] 2019-21.

Two of 3PB’s specialist commercial litigation barristers, David Berkley QC, 3PB’s Head of Chambers and Neil Fawcett have reviewed business insurance claims arising from the current Coronavirus pandemic. Their review points out that some insurance companies deliberately sought to exclude respiratory diseases from their policy following the outbreak of SARS in 2003; and recommends that businesses should conduct a detailed examination of their business interruption policy wording.

David Richards, head of the marine group at 3PB and fellow barrister Dr Tagbo Ilozue have reviewed national and international maritime responses to the Covid 19 crisis, looking in particular at the UK regulatory framework that may be used to police responses to the coronavirus beyond the current lockdown.

3PB’s specialist Property and Estates Barristers Charles Irvine and Rebecca Farrell have issued an updated guide on the rights of commercial landlords and their tenants during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The guide reviews the existing position for commercial landlords and their tenants as well as an update on the latest Government’s announcement on 23rd April 2020.

Following the recent decision of Re Debenhams Retail Ltd (In Administration) [2020] EWHC 921 (Ch) which applied Re Carluccio’s Limited [2020] EWHC 886 (Ch), 3PB’s specialist Employment and Commercial Barristers Daniel Brown and Rebecca Farrell join forces to review the Carluccio’s decision.

3PB's specialist family law barrister Emma Griffiths provides an update on private law.

3PB's specialist family law barrister Gemma Chapman provides an update on private law.

3PB’s Head of Property and Estates Group Matthew Cannings and Alex Leonhardt, pupil barrister, have produced an update for residential landlords and tenants during the coronavirus pandemic. The article considers the implications of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and Practice Direction 51Z of the Civil Procedure Rules and what the new provisions mean for residential landlords and tenants, including the imposition of a 90-day stay on most possession proceedings and the new three-month notice requirement.

3PB's specialist Commercial and Property law Barrister Thomas Talbot-Ponsonby has produced an article on Residential Landlord and Tenant Tax during the Coronavirus pandemic.