The role of judges

The role of Judges in the English legal system is to interpret and uphold the law, as laid down in statutes by parliament, and to uphold principles of common law, such as reasonableness and fairness REF1 . Judges may apply equitable remedies, which are discretionary remedies available in common law to ensure justice.  It is argued … Read more

The doctrine of duress

The doctrine of duress is well established in English Law and allows a party to the contract to set aside the terms of an agreement by showing evidence that pressure or force from the other party was put on them (against person or property) when the agreement was formed.  The party subjected to the duress … Read more

The doctrine of separation of powers

Discuss the doctrine of separation of powers. Do you think that the separation of powers in the United Kingdom is sufficient? Separation of powers is a principle set out by Montesquieu in the 17th century after observing the British System of the time. The doctrine of the separation of powers sets out that there are … Read more

Secret trusts

Secret trusts arise where a testator explains to X that they want property to be held on trust for Y and then leaves the property to X in their Will. It is also possible that a secret trust arises where in reliance on a promise to implement the trust by X, no Will is made … Read more

The Land Registration Act

The work involved in investigating an unregistered title is far greater than that involved with a registered title. Ownership of unregistered land is evidenced by deeds, mostly conveyances. The Seller shows to the Buyer a period of unchallenged ownership, and there is substantial reliance on the integrity of the title deeds. If any are lost, … Read more

Reviewing contracts: small business owners

As the New Year approaches, many of us start to think of ways we would like to improve our lives. For some, it’s a plan to make more money, or lose weight. Small business owners, however, should be considering (among other things) ways to improve their operations in the coming year. Using contracts is, in … Read more

Vicarious Liability

The concept of vicarious liability is that one person has legal responsibility for a tort committed by another person. In an employment scenario for example, an employer will generally be vicariously liable for the negligent acts or omissions carried out by his employee, providing they are carried out in the course of their employment. The … Read more

Romalpa clauses

“A Romalpa clause is an effective weapon which protects an otherwise unsecured creditor.” Discuss and critically analyse this statement. Introduction Remedies for the unpaid seller For the majority of sales contracts, the issue of who has title to the goods generally arises only where the Buyer goes into liquidation or cannot pay his debts [1].  A … Read more

Working Time, Sex and Nationality Discrimination

The Working Time Directive has proven to be one of the most contentious areas of EC Law to have been introduced into Britain. Directive 93/104 specifies the number of hours employees have to work as a maximum, together with rest periods and specified times for night shifts. For example, Article 3 allows that workers must … Read more

The Ghosh Test

Where dishonesty is discussed in statute, it’s only negatively defined.  Section 2(1) Theft Act 19681 gives the three situations in which a defendant isn’t dishonest in appropriating property. Where none of these situations apply, dishonesty is governed by the Court of Appeal’s decision in R v Ghosh 1982 QB 2053, referred to as “the Ghosh … Read more

Maintenance of share capital

A share may be described as “an interest of a shareholder in a company measured by a sum of money for the purpose of liability in the first place and of interest in the second”[1].  Shares also represent the statutory contract between a shareholder and all the other shareholders of the company[2]. The share affords … Read more

Social contracts

Social contracts are used to denote an agreement within a state while dealing with the rights and responsibilities of the state and its citizens. All members within a society are assumed to agree to the terms of the contract, when they choose to stay in a society. The social contract theory has been debated for … Read more

Causation

An essential element to establishing a claim of Negligence is that the breach of a duty of care by a Defendant caused loss suffered by a Claimant – or, there’s a causal connection between the Defendant’s carelessness and the Claimant’s loss.  The principles of causation ensure that the Defendant won’t be liable for damage he … Read more

Tort – assessing damages

The principle governing the award of damages in tort, is as nearly as possible to put the claimant in the same position they would have been in if the tort had not been committed (Livingstone v Raywards Coal Co). In some cases, the claimant will have suffered several different kinds of loss.  These types fall … Read more