United Kingdom: Trials & Appeals & Compensation

The Supreme Court has held that the Danish Customs and Tax Administration was not barred by issue estoppel from bringing new claims against the same defendant following the dismissal of its earlier claim under the rule which prevents English courts enforcing foreign tax claims.

A family has won a long-running dispute with HMRC after the Court of Appeal ruled decisively in their favour over an inheritance tax planning arrangement put in place by their late mother, in a case fought all the way from the First Tier Tribunal by the Will, Trusts & Estate Disputes team, here at Buckles Law.

The case also shows that the court must interpret a judgment in a test case in context and without hindsight in determining the extent to which it binds other claims.

In Acasta v Eshiett [2026] EWHC 71 (Comm), the High Court held that a structural defects policy covering a seven‑flat apartment block was subject to a single aggregate limit of £1.5 million.

The Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) has made it clear that a witness's use of AI to prepare for cross-examination can amount to unlawful witness coaching: R v FGD [2026] EWCA Crim 918.

The High Court has ruled that a company in liquidation must pay 85% of its former auditor's costs despite winning a professional negligence claim, after recovering only 1.6% of the damages sought. The decision examines when a claimant can be considered the 'successful party' for costs purposes and reinforces the high threshold for avoiding standard Part 36 offer consequences.

The decision provides helpful guidance on how courts are likely to approach the question of whether to make such an order.

This is the 38th episode of our series of commercial litigation update podcasts. In this episode we discuss privilege, including a recent case on privilege and litigation funding...

Speaking at the 5th Conference on Financial Law and Regulation at the University of Leeds on 24 June 2026, David Chaplin, Head of Enforcement and Litigation for the Bank of England (Bank) and PRA...