August 31, 2025
National Carriers Ltd v Panalpina (Northern) Ltd [1980] UKHL 8 (11 December 1980)
A warehouse was leased for 10 years, but the only access road was closed for 20 months. The House of Lords held that the doctrine of frustration can apply to leases, but this interruption was not significant enough to frustrate this contract. Facts In January 1974, the appellants, National Carriers Ltd (the landlords), granted a 10-year lease for a warehouse in Hull to the respondents, Panalpina (Northern) Ltd (the tenants). The only vehicular access to the warehouse was via a street called Copperfield Street. In May 1979, the local authority closed this street due to the dangerous condition of a
