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21 February 2025 / Henry Warwick KC , Douglas Maxwell
Issue: 8105 / Categories: Features , Company , Consumer
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Johnson v FirstRand Bank Limited

208717
Henry Warwick KC & Douglas Maxwell discuss the £30bn+ decision for the Supreme Court
  • An in-depth explanation of the decision of the Court of Appeal in Johnson, including the key issues to be considered by the Supreme Court.
  • Includes discussion of the potential impacts of the decision.

In 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) took measures to ban arrangements for the payment of commissions using so-called ‘discretionary difference in charges’ (or ‘DiC’) models. These had been used by lenders to incentivise car dealers to offer motor finance to customers at rates of interest set or negotiated by the dealer, where dealers would earn higher commission for negotiating higher rates. The FCA did not ban other fixed commission models, which remain in use today. Generally, a lender need only disclose the amount of a commission it pays if it is asked to. But notwithstanding the ban, in the words of a well-known circuit judge, the County Court has ‘seen explosive growth in the last few years’

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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