Film stars Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones sued Hello! magazine for publishing unauthorised photographs taken covertly at their wedding. They had sold exclusive rights to OK! magazine. The Court of Appeal upheld the Douglases' claim for breach of confidence protecting their privacy but dismissed OK!'s claim, finding no transferable commercial interest in confidential information.
A Syrian national detained in Greece pending expulsion was held for seventeen months in severely overcrowded police detention facilities with inadequate sleeping and sanitary facilities. The European Court of Human Rights found violations of Article 3 (degrading treatment) and Article 5 (unlawful detention and lack of judicial review).
Dover District Council granted planning permission for a major development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, against officers' advice. The Supreme Court held the Council had breached its duty to give reasons under EIA regulations and at common law, quashing the permission.
Mr Doyle was fraudulently induced to purchase an ironmonger's business through false representations about turnover, staffing and trade composition. The Court of Appeal held that damages for deceit should compensate for all actual loss directly flowing from the fraud, not merely contractual expectation loss, increasing damages from £1,500 to £5,500.
Four RAF men, including Mrs Morgan’s husband, were convicted of multiple rapes. They argued they honestly believed she consented, based on the husband’s assurances. The House of Lords split on whether such belief must be reasonable, but unanimously upheld the convictions under the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 proviso.
Dr Barry, a GP suffering from myasthenia gravis, resigned after her employer stopped her sick pay. The EAT held the tribunal erred in finding she had affirmed her contract by delaying resignation whilst negotiating, and substituted a finding of unfair constructive dismissal.
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.
Employees exposed to platinum salts through their employer's negligence developed platinum salt sensitisation, preventing them from working in areas risking further exposure. The Supreme Court held this asymptomatic physiological change constituted actionable personal injury, reversing the lower courts' decisions.
Dubai Aluminium was defrauded of $50 million through a bogus consultancy agreement. A solicitor allegedly drafted fraudulent agreements while acting in his firm's ordinary business. The House of Lords held that a partnership can be vicariously liable for a partner's dishonest assistance in breach of trust under section 10 of the Partnership Act 1890.
Mr Dudgeon, a homosexual man in Northern Ireland, challenged laws criminalising private consensual homosexual acts between adult males. The European Court of Human Rights held that maintaining such legislation constituted an unjustified interference with his right to respect for private life under Article 8, as it was disproportionate to any legitimate aim pursued.
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.
A manufacturer cannot enforce a resale price agreement against a retailer when it is not a party to the contract and has provided no consideration. The case reaffirms the principle that only those directly involved in a contract can sue under it.
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.
A landlord of a block of flats sought to licence structural works by one lessee that would otherwise breach an absolute covenant. The Supreme Court held this would breach the landlord's covenant to other lessees requiring enforcement of such covenants on request.
Miss Fox lived with Mr Wright as his wife for 21 years without marrying. After his death in 1961, the landlord sought possession, arguing she was not a 'member of the tenant's family' under the Rent Acts. The Court of Appeal held that changing social attitudes meant an unmarried partner could now be considered family.
Ealing Council refused to place Mr Zesko, a Polish national, on their housing waiting list because he was not a British subject. The House of Lords held that discrimination based on present nationality was not the same as discrimination on 'national origins' under the Race Relations Act 1968, and thus was not unlawful under the Act.
East African Asians holding UK citizenship were refused entry to Britain under the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968. The European Commission of Human Rights found the legislation discriminated on racial grounds, constituting degrading treatment under Article 3 ECHR, establishing that racial discrimination in immigration control can violate human dignity.
A high tide breached a wall protecting the respondents' farmland, causing flooding. The appellant Catchment Board had statutory power but no duty to repair. They attempted repairs inefficiently, taking 164 days instead of 14. The House of Lords held that having only a power, not a duty, the Board was not liable for damage caused by delay in exercising that power.
The plaintiffs purchased a hairdressing salon after the defendant falsely represented he would not work at his nearby competing salon. When business declined due to the defendant's continued local practice, the plaintiffs claimed damages for fraudulent misrepresentation. The Court of Appeal confirmed that loss of profits is recoverable in deceit actions.
Directors of JKX Oil & Gas issued restriction notices under company articles to suspend voting rights of shareholders who allegedly failed to comply with disclosure notices. The Supreme Court held the restrictions were issued for an improper purpose - to influence AGM voting outcomes rather than to obtain information - and applied the proper purpose rule to set aside the notices.
Eclipse Film Partners challenged whether the First-tier Tribunal could order HMRC to share bundle preparation costs in a Complex tax case where Eclipse had opted out of cost-shifting. The Supreme Court unanimously held the FTT had no jurisdiction to make such an order under Rule 10.
Childcare voucher providers challenged HM Treasury's decision to use NS&I (and its outsourcing contractor Atos) to deliver Tax-free Childcare, alleging breach of EU procurement law. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding the proposed contract modification was not substantial.
Nigerian woman who entered UK illegally in 1990 had two children with a married British citizen. Court of Appeal considered the proportionality test for Article 8 appeals and held that while adjudicators cannot simply substitute their view for the Secretary of State's, removal would disproportionately interfere with the children's family life with their father.
An elderly widow changed her will shortly before death, leaving everything to one son and excluding another son and grandson. The High Court found the new will was procured by undue influence and fraudulent calumny, and pronounced against it in favour of the earlier 1990 will.
A former miner instructed solicitors to pursue a Vibration White Finger claim under a statutory compensation scheme but, due to negligent advice, settled without pursuing a services award. The Supreme Court held that later medical evidence was irrelevant to valuing the lost claim under the Scheme.
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive