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Hearings in the Supreme Court are now shown live on the Court’s website.

On Tuesday 24 until Thursday 26 October, the Supreme Court will hear the appeal of the Reference by the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland pursuant to Paragraph 33 of Schedule 10 to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Abortion). This appeal will consider whether Offences Against the Persons Act 1861, ss 58 & 59 and Criminal Justice Act (NI) 1945, s 25 are incompatible with ECHR, arts 3, 8 & 14 in failing to provide an exception to the prohibition on the termination of pregnancy in NI in cases of serious malformation of the unborn child/foetus or preganancy as a result of rape or incest. Also considering whether the Northern Ireland Act 1998 entitles the appellant to bring proceedings under the HRA 1998 and to seek a declaration of incompatibility under the HRA, s 4 other than in respect of an identified unlawful act or acts. This will be heard in Courtroom 1.

On Tuesday 26 October, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council will hear the appeal of Paymaster (Jamaica) Ltd v Grace Kennedy Remittance Services Ltd (Jamaica). This appeal will consider whether the Court of Appeal was wrong to set aside the findings of fact of Jones J in relation to the claim for breach of confidence, and to set aside the trial judge’s finding of fact in relation to witness evidence. It will also consider whether the Court of Appeal misconstrued the evidence that was before the trial judge in coming to its decision to reverse his findings of fact. The cross-appeal will consider whether the Court of Appeal misapplied principles of law which support a finding of ownership of copyright. This will be heard in Courtroom 3.

On Wednesday 18 October, the Supreme Court will hand down judgment in the case of Taurus Petroleum Ltd v State Oil Marketing Company of the Ministry of Oil, Republic of Iraq. The hand down panel will be Lord Mance, Lord Sumption, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes and Lord Hodge. This appeal considered the identity of the beneficiary under letters of credit, the situs of debts under letter of credit, and whether there is a free-standing principle of honest dealing beyond the rule that a judgment creditor cannot execute against property that does not belong to the judgment debtor. It also considered the correct basis on which a court should exercise its discretion to make receivership orders, and the circumstances in which the State Immunity Act 1978, ss 13(2)(b), 14(2) and 14(4) allow immunity from execution.

On Wednesday 18 October, the Supreme Court will hand down judgment in the case of P v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. The hand down panel will be Lord Mance, Lord Sumption, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes and Lord Hodge. This appeal considered whether police officers are entitled to bring discrimination claims in the Employment Tribunal in respect of dismissals following proceedings before a Police Misconduct Panel.

On Wednesday 18 October, the Supreme Court will hand down judgment in the case of Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Planning Authority v Elsick Development Company Ltd (Scotland). The hand down panel will be Lord Mance, Lord Sumption, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes and Lord Hodge. This appeal considered the correct legal test for the validity of planning obligations, the extent to which planning authorities are obligated to comply with national policy when formulating their own supplementary guidance, and the extent of the supervisory jurisdiction of the courts when considering challenges to planning policies.

On Wednesday 18 October, the Supreme Court will hand down judgment in the case of Ivey v Genting Casinos (UK) Ltd t/a Crockfords. The hand down panel will be Lord Mance, Lord Sumption, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes and Lord Hodge. This appeal considered whether an implied term not to cheat in a gambling contract is only breached where there is dishonesty.

On Wednesday 18 October, the Supreme Court will hand down judgment in the case of Mitsui & Co Ltd & Ors v Beteiligungsgesekkschaft LPG Tankerflotte MBH & Co KG & Anor. The hand down panel will be Lord Mance, Lord Sumption, Lord Reed, Lord Hughes and Lord Hodge. This appeal considered, where a ship is hijacked by pirates, and the initial ransom sum demanded is not paid, but a period of negotiation is entered into resulting in a lower ransom sum being agreed and paid, whether the expenses incurred during the negotiation period can be deemed to be general average expenses under the York-Antwerp Rules, Rule F (and therefore borne by all parties rather than by the owners alone), on the basis that they are expenses incurred as an alternative to paying a general average expense (ie a higher ransom sum). Also considering whether payment of the initially demanded ransom sum would have been ‘reasonable’ and therefore a general average expense under the York-Antwerp Rules, Rule A.

On Thursday 26 October, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council will hear the appeal of Rolle Family & Company Ltd v Rolle (Bahamas). This appeal will consider whether the Bahamas Companies Act 1992, s 22, which sets out the requirements which must be satisfied for a company to adopt a contract entered into in its name before the company was incorporated, applied and was satisfied in the present case, and whether this issue can be raised given that it was not pursued in the Bahamas Court of Appeal. This will be heard in Courtroom 3.

A full list of the cases scheduled for the Michaelmas term can be found here.

The following Supreme Court judgments remain outstanding:

Keefe (by his litigation friend Eyton) v Hoteles Pinero Canarias SL, heard 7 Mar 2017.

Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v DSD & Anor, heard 13-14 Mar 2017.

Taurus Petroleum Ltd v State Oil Marketing Company of the Ministry of Oil, Republic of Iraq (SOMO), heard 21-23 Mar 2017.

SM (Algeria) v Entry Clearance Officer UK Visa Section, heard 23 Mar 2017.

Arcadia Petroleum Ltd & Ors v Bosworth & Anor, heard 10-11 Apr 2017.

P v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, heard 3-4 May 2017.

Four Seasons Holdings Incorporated v Brownlie, heard 9-10 May 2017.

Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Planning Authority v Elsick Development Company Ltd (Scotland), heard 13 Jun 2017.

Brown v The Scottish Ministers (Scotland), heard 14-15 Jun 2017.

R (HC) v Secretary of State for Works and Pensions & Ors, heard 21-22 Jun 2017.

R (De Silva & Anor) v The Commissioners for HMRC, heard 22 Jun 2017.

R (Bancoult No 3) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, heard 28-29 Jun 2017.

Littlewoods Ltd & Ors v Commissioners for HMRC, heard 3-6 Jul 2017.

Michalak v General Medical Council & Ors, heard 4 Jul 2017.

R (C) Secretary of State for Work & Pensions, heard 10-11 Jul 2017.

Robinson v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, heard 12 Jul 2017.

Ivey v Genting Casinos Ltd t/a Crockfords (expedited), heard 13 Jul 2017.

Mitsui & Co Ltd & Ors v Beteiligungsgesellschaft LPG Tankerflotte MBH & Co KG & Anor, heard 17-18 Jul 2017.

Gordon & Ors as Trustees of the Inter Vivos Trust of the late William Strathdee Gordon v Campbell Riddell Breeze Paterson LLP (Scotland), heard 19 Jul 2017.

Scotch Whisky Association & Ors v the Lord Advocate & Anor (Scotland), heard 24-25 Jul 2017.

O’Connor v Bar Standards Board, heard 4 Oct 2017.

In the matter of C (Children), heard 9-10 Oct 2017.

Morris-Garner v One Step (Support) Ltd, heard 11-12 Oct 2017.

Dover District Council v CPRE Kent, heard 16 Oct 2017.

In the matter of an application by Kevin Maguire for Judicial Review, heard 19 Oct 2017.