May 13, 2025
“Once More Unto the Breach”: The Power of Positivity in Mediation and Negotiation By [Author Name] “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.” These words, immortalised by Shakespeare’s Henry V, are more than a call to battle — they are a call to courage,...
May 13, 2025
The Wild Way: Finding Beauty in Chaos and Letting the Weeds Grow By Peter Causton Somewhere on a quiet footpath or at the edge of a garden, a tangle of weeds rises defiantly from the grass — unruly, uninvited, and entirely themselves. At first glance, they may seem a...
May 13, 2025
“Ripeness Is All”: When Should Commercial Litigators Advise Clients to Mediate? By Peter Causton Everyone knows that the war in Ukraine will one day come to an end. History tells us that even the most entrenched conflicts ultimately find their way to a table — if not...
May 11, 2025
Last week as part of the Frodsham literature festival, I had the privilege of attending a poetry reading by Lemn Sissay, and it was an experience that stayed with me long after the final applause. Sissay, who has carved a place for himself as one of Britain’s most...
May 11, 2025
Following in Family Footsteps: Inheritance, Inspiration or Nepotism? Last night, I had the pleasure of witnessing a truly mesmerising performance by Gerald Dickens — the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens — who delivered a one-man show that breathed new life into...
May 7, 2025
*Mediation in Judicial Review Cases: Lessons from the High Hedges Dispute** The intersection of mediation and judicial review is vividly illustrated in *Re Timothy Gamble and Raffaella Zurlo’s Application*, a Northern Ireland High Court case concerning a dispute...
May 2, 2025
HMRC Explores Expansion of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Tax Cases: A Shift Toward Collaborative Solutions The UK’s HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is considering a significant overhaul of its approach to resolving tax disputes, with a focus on expanding the use...
Apr 19, 2025
Court Decisions on Housing Disrepair Claims & Landlords’ Internal Complaints Procedures Key Themes Allocation of Housing Disrepair Claims: Whether cases should be heard in the small claims track (limited costs) or fast track (recoverable costs). Use of Internal...
Apr 16, 2025
Court Slams Unreasonable Refusal to Mediate and Awards Penalties for Ignoring Part 36 Offer Henderson & Jones Ltd v Salica Investments Ltd & Ors [2025] EWHC 838 (Comm) IntroductionIn a strongly worded judgment, the High Court has reinforced the importance of...
Apr 14, 2025
Here’s a structured flowchart illustrating when courts are likely to impose costs sanctions in civil cases for refusing to mediate, based on PQR Ltd v XYZ Corp and the broader legal framework: Flowchart: When Will Courts Impose Costs Sanctions for Refusing...
