Share it

The Supreme Court has a full week in prospect.  Two appeals are listed to be heard. On Monday and Tuesday, 22 and 23 February 2010, a five judge bench (Lords Hope, Rodger, Walker, Collins and Clarke) will hear the appeal in Roberts v Gill.  The Court of Appeal decision was at [2008] EWCA Civ 803 and our case preview is here.  There is a hearing before a five judge Judicial Committee consisting entirely of Supreme Court Justices sitting on the same two days, meaning that 10 Justices will be in court for the first two days of the week (all the serving Justices except Lord Kerr).  

The second appeal of the week is on 24 and 25 February 2010. A five judge bench (Lord Walker, Lady Hale, Lord Brown, Lord Mance and Lord Clarke) will hear the appeal in British Airways v Williams, an appeal in a case concerning pilot’s holiday pay from the decision of the Court of Appeal at [2009] EWCA Civ 281.  Our case preview is here.

The highlight of the week from the press point of view will be the judgment of the 9 judge bench in Norris v United States of America which will be given on 24 February 2010 by a 7 judge “hand down bench”.  Our case preview for the Norris case can be found here.

There is one Privy Council hearing this week, on 22 and 23 February 2010. Lords Phillips and Saville, Lady Hale, Lord Brown and Lord Mance will hear the appeal in the case of Larry Winslow Marshall v Deputy Governor of Bermuda.  This is an appeal from a decision of the Court of Appeal for Bermuda in a case brought by “Bermudians against the Draft” who were objecting to their call for military service in the Bermuda regiment.  A variety of grounds were argued including that conscription was forced labour and that the conscription of men only was unlawful discrimination.  All these arguments were rejected by the Court of Appeal.  There is a news story about the forthcoming appeal in the Bermudian Royal Gazette here.

 Judgments

 The following Supreme Court judgments remain outstanding:

Agbaje v Akinnoye-Agbaje, heard 3-4 Nov 2009

RTS Flexible Systems v Muller, heard 2-3 Dec 2009

R (JS Sri Lanka) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, heard 13-14 Jan 2010
R (Lewis) v Redcar and Cleveland BC, heard 18, 19 and 20 Jan 2010.
R (Sainsbury’s) v Wolverhampton City Council, heard 1-2 Feb 2010
R (JF) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, heard 3 -4 Feb 2010
R (SK) (Zimbabwe) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, heard 10-11 Feb 2010
ZN (Afghanistan) v Entry Clearance Officer, heard 15 Feb 2010 
 
The following Privy Council judgments are awaited:
 
Prime Minister of Belize v Vellos, heard 18 January 2010
Tibbetts v A-G of Cayman Islands, heard 21 January 2010