The National Case Law Archive provides structured case summaries with case details, a clear one-paragraph holding, and breakdowns of the facts, issues, judgment, and implications – so you can get to the point quickly. Use the index and key terms to explore landmark decisions across UK jurisdictions, with plain-English context for study and research. You can also see our helpful list of Supreme Court cases and House of Lords cases.
July 1, 2026
Ms Achbita, a Muslim receptionist at G4S in Belgium, was dismissed for insisting on wearing an Islamic headscarf at work, contrary to the employer’s neutrality rule banning all visible political, philosophical or religious signs. The CJEU held this was not direct discrimination but could amount to indirect discrimination. Facts Ms...
July 1, 2026
Mr Nicholson claimed he was dismissed by Grainger plc partly due to his philosophical belief in man-made climate change. The EAT held such a belief, if genuinely held, was capable of qualifying as a philosophical belief under the 2003 Religion or Belief Regulations. Facts The Respondent, Mr Nicholson, was employed...
July 1, 2026
Ms Ahmed, of northern Sudanese origin, was denied promotion to Amnesty's Sudan researcher post due to impartiality and safety concerns linked to her ethnicity. The EAT upheld direct race discrimination but overturned the constructive unfair dismissal finding. Facts The Claimant, Ms Bashair Ahmed, was born in 1979 to Sudanese parents...
July 1, 2026
A husband promised his wife annual maintenance but never paid. After divorce, she sued to enforce the promise, relying on promissory estoppel. The Court of Appeal held estoppel is a shield, not a sword, and cannot create a cause of action. Facts Mr and Mrs Combe were a married couple....
July 1, 2026
Payzu contracted to buy silk from Saunders by instalments. After a late payment, Saunders refused further deliveries on credit but offered cash terms. Payzu refused and sued. The court held Payzu should have mitigated by accepting the offer. Facts By a written contract dated 9 November 1917, the defendant, a...
July 1, 2026
A court-appointed receiver managed companies under a POCA order later quashed on appeal. The Supreme Court held taking the companies' assets to pay his £772,547 costs would breach A1P1, but the CPS was liable in unjust enrichment for failure of consideration. Facts The appellant, a former partner in a well-known...
July 1, 2026
Deutsche Bahn and others brought follow-on damages claims against Morgan, a whistle-blowing cartel member who did not appeal the Commission's infringement decision. The Supreme Court held the claims time-barred, ruling that appeals by other addressees did not affect the limitation period against a non-appealing addressee. Facts Morgan Advanced Materials plc...
July 1, 2026
Mr O'Brien breached a POCA restraint order and fled to the USA. After extradition to the UK for fraud charges, he was committed for contempt. The Supreme Court held that such contempt is civil, not criminal, and specialty protections did not apply. Facts The appellant, Mr O’Brien, was under investigation...
July 1, 2026
Major Cox was killed by a negligent driver in Germany. His widow sued the German insurer in England, seeking to apply the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. The Supreme Court held German law governed damages, and the Act's provisions did not apply. Facts On 21 May 2004, Major Christopher Cox, a...
July 1, 2026
Mr Durkin bought a laptop from PC World funded by an HFC credit agreement, but rejected it the next day. HFC recorded him as in default, damaging his credit. The Supreme Court held he had validly rescinded the credit agreement and awarded £8,000 damages. Facts On 28 December 1998, Mr...
July 1, 2026
Ms Dunhill suffered a severe head injury in a road accident and settled her personal injury claim for £12,500, a gross undervaluation. The Supreme Court held she lacked capacity to conduct the proceedings, set aside the consent order, and required court approval under CPR 21.10. Facts On 25 June 1999,...
July 1, 2026
The Supreme Court held that on an inter partes application for a production order under section 9 and schedule 1 of PACE 1984, the court cannot receive evidence from the police ex parte which is withheld from the respondent journalist. The Commissioner's appeal was dismissed. Facts In March 2011, two...
July 1, 2026
Med Hotels marketed hotel accommodation online. HMRC assessed it for VAT as a principal under TOMS. The Supreme Court held Med acted as an agent (intermediary) for hoteliers under the contractual documentation, so TOMS did not apply and the appeal was allowed. Facts Secret Hotels2 Ltd (formerly Med Hotels Ltd,...
July 1, 2026
Mr Stott, a paralysed wheelchair user, suffered humiliating treatment on a Thomas Cook flight when not seated with his wife. The Supreme Court held that article 29 of the Montreal Convention precluded damages for injury to feelings under the UK Disability Regulations. Facts Mr Christopher Stott, paralysed from the shoulders...
July 1, 2026
Forde and McHugh Ltd transferred cash and Treasury Stock to a Funded Unapproved Retirement Benefits Scheme trust for a director's benefit. The Supreme Court held this was not a payment of 'earnings' under section 6(1) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, as the director only held a...
July 1, 2026
Homeowners near a motor sports stadium and motocross track in Suffolk sued for nuisance by noise. The Supreme Court allowed their appeal, restoring the trial judge’s injunction, and clarified key principles on prescription, planning permission, locality and remedies in private nuisance. Facts The appellants, Katherine Lawrence and Raymond Shields, purchased...
July 1, 2026
Four Eritrean and Iranian asylum seekers and refugees resisted removal from the UK to Italy under the Dublin II Regulation, alleging article 3 ECHR breaches. The Supreme Court held that a 'systemic deficiency' in Italy's asylum system was not required; the Soering real risk test applies. Facts The appeals concerned...
July 1, 2026
M&S sought UK group relief for losses of its German and Belgian subsidiaries. The Supreme Court held sequential cross-border loss relief claims are permissible within statutory time limits, pay and file claims were time-barred, and Method E was the correct method of calculating surrenderable losses. Facts Marks and Spencer plc...
June 30, 2026
An American testator left funds to US trustees to apply, at their discretion, for the maintenance and education of his grandchildren. The trustees remitted money to their mother and guardian in England. The House of Lords held these remittances were taxable income under Schedule D, Case 5. Facts The late...
June 30, 2026
The retired headmaster of Bradfield College received a £500 annual pension granted at the discretion of the Warden and Council under college statutes. The House of Lords held that this purely voluntary payment, which could be rescinded at any time, was not assessable to Income Tax. Facts The Respondent, the...
June 30, 2026
BlueCrest hedge fund partners participated in a Partner Incentivisation Plan diverting profit shares to a corporate partner, which then re-allocated 'special capital' awards to individuals. The Court of Appeal upheld that profits were validly allocated to the corporate partner under section 850 ITTOIA 2005, but the final awards to individual...
June 30, 2026
Dr Williams alleged the Central Bank of Nigeria dishonestly assisted, and knowingly received funds from, a fraudulent breach of trust by an English solicitor in 1986. The Supreme Court held, by majority, that section 21(1)(a) of the Limitation Act 1980 did not disapply the limitation period against strangers to a...
June 30, 2026
Mr Erskine received a negligent misrepresentation about grouse numbers on a moor before forming Cramaso LLP, which then signed the lease. The Supreme Court held the misrepresentation was continuing, so the LLP could recover damages despite not existing when the statement was made. Facts The respondents owned a grouse moor...
June 30, 2026
Protesters trespassed in a London shop selling Israeli Dead Sea products, chaining themselves together to disrupt trading. They were convicted of aggravated trespass under section 68 of the 1994 Act. The Supreme Court held alleged offences must be integral to the occupier's core activity. Facts The appellants staged a non-violent...
June 30, 2026
The Supreme Court considered the relevance of delay when applying to rectify the register of town and village greens under section 14 of the Commons Registration Act 1965. It dismissed the inhabitants' appeal in Betterment and allowed the landowner's appeal in Paddico, ordering rectification in both cases. Facts These conjoined...
July 5, 2026
National Case Law Archive
July 1, 2026
National Case Law Archive
July 1, 2026
National Case Law Archive