header-logo header-logo

24 October 2025
Issue: 8136 / Categories: Case law , In Court , Law digest
printer mail-detail

Law digests: 24 October 2025

Company

Pagden and others v Ridgley [2025] EWHC 2674 (Ch)

The Chancery Division dismissed an appeal against a judge’s order which had rejected the appellants’ challenge to the respondent’s remuneration and expenses as administrator of Orthios Eco Parks (Anglesey) Ltd and Orthios Power (Anglesey) Ltd. The court held that r 18.34 of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 did not provide jurisdiction to challenge an administrator’s remuneration paid from the proceeds of realising assets subject to a fixed charge, as such assets do not form part of the ‘company’s pot’ available for distribution to general creditors. Part 18 of the 2016 Rules, including r 18.34, applies only to remuneration and expenses relating to the administration of the company’s assets as statutorily enlarged (including assets subject to floating charges), not to assets subject to fixed charges which remain outside the insolvency process.


Employment

Simpson v Unite the Union [2025] EAT 149

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) dismissed Mr Simpson’s appeal against the further decision of the certification officer, which decided that

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

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
back-to-top-scroll