In 1970, after Australia was controversially disqualified in Race 2 of AC21, Sir Frank Packer “raged that protesting to the New York Yacht Club was like complaining to your mother-in-law about your ...
Galtrade Ltd v BP Oil International Ltd – To Reject or Not Reject? Purchaser in Breach when Rejecting Off-Specification Fuel
The English Commercial Court in Galtrade Ltd v BP Oil International [2021] EWHC 1796 (Comm) has held that an oil trader who rejected off-specification cargo wrongfully repudiated the contract, as the specification requirement in the contract was an intermediate term and not a condition.
Home Alone? MBIE forced to reconsider home isolation application
In Bolton v The Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment [2021] NZHC 2897 the High Court set aside a decision of MBIE denying an application for MIQ exemption.
Exclusion of liability for deliberate breaches of contract
In Mott Macdonald Ltd v Trant Engineering Ltd [2021] EWHC 754 (TCC) the English High Court considered a summary judgment application on the applicability of a limitation of liability clause to an alle...
How low can you go? Commerce Commission’s prosecution against Bunnings dismissed
The District Court recently dismissed the Commerce Commission’s case against Bunnings for alleged misleading and deceptive representations under the Fair Trading Act 1986 (FTA). In dismissing the Co...
Formation of Contract: Black Sea Commodities Ltd v Lermarc Agromond Pte Ltd
The English High Court decision in Black Sea Commodities Ltd v Lermarc Agromond Pte Ltd [2021] EWHC 287 highlights the importance of parties to commodities contracts expressly including an arbitration clause in the contract. This is particularly when the contract is formed by email or instant messaging negotiations.
Clarity on Liquidated Damages following Termination
The United Kingdom Supreme Court in Triple Point Technology Inc v PTT Public Company Ltd [2021] UKSC 29 has clarified the operation of liquidated damages clauses in the event of termination. The dec...
When Contracts Contradict: Septo Trading Inc v Tintrade Ltd
Contracts in international trade are often formed by a combination of emails recording expressly agreed terms, but with a reference to standard terms and conditions being incorporated.
Maritime New Zealand v Genera Limited: Health & Safety Prosecution in International Waters
In the first case of its kind, Genera Limited has been convicted of an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) in relation to an incident that occurred in international waters. The...
Contractors, Caveats, and Retention of Title clauses
The High Court in Development Construction Company Ltd v Mackenzie [2021] NZHC 546 has confirmed that retention of title (RoT) clauses do not provide contractors with a caveatable interest. This dec...
The revised International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Arbitration Rules for 2021 (2021 Rules) have now come into force and apply to all ICC arbitrations begun after 1 January 2021. While the new Rules...
English Supreme Court clarifies approach to determining the governing law of an international arbitration agreement
The English Supreme Court has recently clarified how the governing law of an arbitration agreement should be determined, where the agreement lacks an express choice of law provision. In an area of l...
Class Actions – Supreme Court rules it’s “opt-out”, Law Commission Issues Paper imminent
Following the Supreme Court decision in Southern Response v Ross [2020] NZSC 126 the Law Commission is now set to release its Issues Paper on Class Actions and Litigation Funding on 4 December 2020. ...
Court of Appeal cuts fine for Steel & Tube’s breaches of the Fair Trading Act
The Court of Appeal in Commerce Commission v Steel & Tube Holdings Limited [2020] NZCA 549 has set aside last year’s High Court decision under the Fair Trading Act 1986 (FTA) where it imposed a ...
My way or the highway: repudiation, cancellation and dispute resolution clauses
In Jade Residential Ltd v Paul, the Court of Appeal reviewed two issues which may arise in contractual disputes: The right to cancel a contract for “partial” repudiation; and Whether an aggrieved...
There are major changes to the Building Act on the horizon that will impact the entire construction sector including manufacturers, builders, building consent authorities, consultants and many others ...
The Singapore Mediation Convention has now entered into force, creating a comprehensive framework for the enforcement of international mediation settlement agreements.
Blackpool Borough Council v Volkerfitzpatrick [2020] EWHC 1523 (TCC) In 2009, Blackpool Borough Council (Principal), as principal, contracted with Volkerfitzpatrick Ltd (Contractor), as head contracto...
Adjudication: Conflicts of Interest with Professional Advisors
The last working day of 2019 saw another judicial review of an adjudication determination (Yousseff v Maiden [2019] NZHC 3471), this time focused on conflict of interest and apparent bias. Despite j...
Media reports indicate that class action litigation in relation to ACP cladding is very likely. A litigation funder has announced it will be funding a class action lawsuit for owners of buildings cl...
A common issue for New Zealand companies engaging in international trade and dealing with foreign counterparties is how and where to resolve disputes and ensuring payment is received when the dispute ...
Selecting and Tailoring Dispute Resolution Clauses
Dispute resolution clauses are often relegated to the end of contractual negotiations or standard “boilerplates” are included with little or no thought as to their appropriateness. Frequently...
Arbitration Act 1996 – Reconstructing the Agreement to Arbitrate
The recent stream of alternate dispute resolution methods is part of the zeitgeist where disputants are shying away from Courts and attempting to settle their differences outside the Courtroom steps. ...
John Anthony Osborne and Helen Osborne v Auckland Council On 10 June 2014, the Supreme Court delivered a decision on the eligibility criteria under s 14(a) of the Weathertight Homes Resolution Servi...
Nothing says excitement quite like the rules of civil procedure. We might laugh at that statement, but such rules are important insofar as they govern the way cases are commenced and managed through...
Cladding manufacturers and leaky schools – sufficiently close to care?
Introduction The Minister of Education and others, including four school boards of trustees, issued proceedings against Carter Holt alleging its cladding product, called shadowclad and installed in v...
Kim Dotcom’s anticipated Political Party aspirations may have taken a hit when the Supreme Court delivered a judgment against Dotcom. Most New Zealanders are no strangers to Dotcom and the storm o...
The New Giant – plotting the course between Admiralty and cross border insolvency rules
Admiralty proceedings against a vessel are necessarily territorial in nature. A debtor’s vessel may sail into a certain jurisdiction and be arrested and sold for the benefit of creditors who both ha...
Download PDF Article Over the past few months the Rules Committee has been considering a total revamp of the District Court Rules (DCRs). At the same time, Parliament has been considering the Judica...
Diminution of value or the cost of cure: assessing the “normal” measure of damages in leaky building claims
Download full article Johnson v Auckland Council [2013] NZCA 662 Mr and Mrs Johnson purchased a leaky home in a mortgagee sale. They were aware at the time of purchase that the house might leak. T...
Competing claims scuppered: A ship repairer’s priority rights following the ship’s arrest and sale
Alan Sherlock, Partner at Hesketh Henry, has been involved in a number of Admiralty cases, and has experienced the following recent success. In Babcock Fitzroy Limited v The Ship “The M/V Southern ...
Investor Losses: A Fruitful Ground for Class Actions?
In tough economic times when share prices fall, corporate profits drop and companies edge towards insolvency, investors can face the depressing reality of dwindling retirement portfolios. Whether they...