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Practice – Civil litigation. The appellant was a taxi driver who had his vehicle seized by the respondent local authority for non-payment of council tax. The vehicle was returned in due course as it was a 'tool-of-the-trade' for the appellant. The appellant brought a claim for damages for loss of profit due to its retention. The authority brought a counterclaim for storage charges in respect of the vehicle. At trial the judge found that the appellant had failed to comply with the time limit for service of a witness statement and refused relief from sanctions. He also struck out the appellant's case on the pleadings and gave judgment for the local authority on the counterclaim. The appellant appealed. The Queen's Bench Division held that the judge had been correct to refuse relief from sanctions however judgment for the local authority on the counterclaim with regard to the storage of vehicle charges would be overturned.
Practice – Civil litigation. The appellant was a taxi driver who had his vehicle seized by the respondent local authority for non-payment of council tax. The vehicle was returned in due course as it was a 'tool-of-the-trade' for the appellant. The appellant brought a claim for damages for loss of profit due to its retention. The authority brought a counterclaim for storage charges in respect of the vehicle. At trial the judge found that the appellant had failed to comply with the time limit for service of a witness statement and refused relief from sanctions. He also struck out the appellant's case on the pleadings and gave judgment for the local authority on the counterclaim. The appellant appealed. The Queen's Bench Division held that the judge had been correct to refuse relief from sanctions however judgment for the local authority on the counterclaim with regard to the storage of vehicle charges would be overturned.
Update from the Chair of the Bar
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Unlocking your aged debt to fund your tax in one easy step. By Philip N Bristow
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, discusses the upcoming changes to pensions and Inheritance Tax and the potential impact on your financial future
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
The Chief Legal Officer to the Metropolitan Police, barrister Brett Welch, tells Anthony Inglese CB about his mission and the work to turn the Met around
Barrister apprenticeships – shortly to provide the fourth pathway to the Bar – are an ideal opportunity to support local talent and ‘grow your own’, say Tim Coulson and Dr Jane Dennehy
Grok around and find out – or not? Mariya Peykova investigates the nudification scandal, what the law has to say about sexually explicit deepfakes, and whether stronger regulation is needed
Oliver Lewis spotlights an overlooked yet rapidly evolving area of law – coercive and controlling behaviour within care contexts
For one night only at Middle Temple Hall (Sunday 26 July 2026) – Abigail Bright introduces the famed annual fundraising theatrical event. This year, Martin Shaw and Jason Watkins perform John Mortimer’s The Dock Brief, a mixture of farce and pathos and all in support of the work of the Kalisher Trust in its 30th year
