This chapter deals with the legal responses to various forms of personal behaviour within the domestic sphere which may amount to physical or emotional abuse. It begins with discussions of the definition of domestic violence and abuse; the scale of domestic abuse; government strategy; and gender-based abuse as a breach of human rights. It then turns to the protection afforded by the criminal law; civil law remedies; and remedies through housing law. It concludes by considering whether the legal response to domestic violence should primarily be the use of the criminal law or through the civil law.
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This chapter discusses Article 102 TFEU, which applies to abusive conduct engaged in by undertakings in a dominant position. The dominant position must be held in a ‘substantial part’ of the internal market for EU competition law to apply. Abuses can take many forms, and include conduct designed to preserve or expand the power of the undertaking (‘exclusionary abuses’) and conduct aiming to exploit the power of the undertaking (‘exploitative abuses’). No exemptions are available, but the alleged abusive conduct may be defended on the grounds that it is ‘objectively justifiable’ or if there are efficiency justifications. A breach of Article 102 TFEU may incur penalties, damages, and a requirement of conduct modification.
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This chapter focuses on the most important pricing and non-pricing practices, which together constitute the larger part of the anti-competitive and exploitative abuses of dominant firms. The types of conduct considered abusive of market power are similar under most competition regimes, and include both pricing and non-pricing practices. The ‘form-based’ analysis of abusive practices is progressively shifting to an ‘effects-based approach’. In the EU and the UK, both exclusionary and exploitative abuses may fall foul of the relevant competition law provisions. Exclusionary practices are usually considered abusive when they are likely to lead to ‘anticompetitive foreclosure’. The EU and UK law and practice in relation to all these potential abuses is and will remain aligned until the UK has formally left the EU.
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This chapter deals with abuses committed in the trading of shares, with particular reference to insider dealing and market manipulation, and the laws intended to control them. The chapter considers forms of control to prevent market abuse under three key pieces of legislation: Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, the Criminal Justice Act 1993 and the Financial Services Act 2012. It looks at regulations governing disclosure to regulated markets and the fiduciary duty of directors, and offences involving insider dealing and creating a false market. The chapter analyses a particularly significant case: Percival v Wright [1902] 2 Ch 421.
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In the past, domestic abuse and intimate partner violence were viewed as private matters, ones that rarely necessitated criminal or civil sanction. The law has changed quite considerably over time thanks to a growing recognition of the nature and consequences of domestic abuse. This chapter considers the effect and nature of domestic abuse and looks at how the law has sought to address it. The chapter starts by defining the term ‘domestic abuse’. Domestic abuse is very difficult for the law to deal with effectively for a couple of key reasons: the legal powers are piecemeal and overlapping and the police and prosecution responses have been lacking. Rates of domestic abuse remain high so there is still work to be done to protect people.
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The ‘price’ that companies are required to pay for the privilege of incorporation (separate personality) and limited liability is compulsory publicity about their affairs. The Companies Acts’ disclosure rules are largely based on this philosophy. This chapter discusses general disclosure obligations; public regulation of securities markets; transparency obligations; disclosure and public offerings of shares; market abuse; and public investigation of companies.
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This chapter considers the economics of monopoly abuse. A monopolist is a firm which is the sole supplier in a relevant market. Monopolists are able to determine the market price. This will be higher than the competitive price, with the quantity supplied being lower. This situation leads to a loss of welfare to society as a whole, and also a redistribution of income from some of the monopolist’s customers to the monopolist. The monopolist may also engage in wasteful strategic behaviour to protect its privileged position. In both the EU and UK regimes, competition enforcement is largely complaint driven. This forces the courts, and therefore economists as expert witnesses, to consider the (anti-)competitive impact of short-run activity that might be expected to have little in the way of long-run repercussions.
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This chapter defines equity. Equity is both a different system of law which recognizes rights and obligations that the common law does not, and a system which seeks to address the inherent gaps which can exist in following any set of rules. Equity plays a large, but largely hidden, role in all our lives. For instance, buying houses with a partner, borrowing money, investing in private or company pensions, making complex arrangements in a will, or preventing human rights abuse all use some form of mechanism developed in equity, such as trust. Thus, equity, even if we do not always appreciate it, intrudes into many parts of our lives.
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This chapter examines the offence of fraud. It is a statutory offence that can be committed in one of three ways: by making a false representation; by failing to disclose information; and by abuse of position. Each has a different actus reus and mens rea, but for the most part liability turns on whether D was dishonest. The chapter also considers the related offences of obtaining services dishonestly, possession of articles for fraud, and making or supplying articles for use in frauds.
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This chapter defines equity. Equity is both a different system of law which recognizes rights and obligations that the common law does not, and a system which seeks to address the inherent gaps which can exist in following any set of rules. Equity plays a large, but largely hidden, role in all our lives. For instance, buying houses with a partner, borrowing money, investing in private or company pensions, making complex arrangements in a will, or preventing human rights abuse all use some form of mechanism developed in equity, such as trust. Thus, equity, even if we do not always appreciate it, intrudes into many parts of our lives.
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18. Company Law III
Company Meetings, Shareholder Protection, and Liquidation of Companies
This chapter discusses the different types of company meetings and how meetings are convened and managed. It examines the different types of resolutions that may be made by shareholders both at meetings and outside meetings, and the rights of shareholders to propose their own resolutions. It explains the difference between voting by a show of hands and voting by poll. It considers the protection given by law to minority shareholders. It discusses the meaning of insider dealing and market abuse and the penalties they attract. The chapter concludes with a discussion of methods by which a company can be wound up and the meaning of wrongful and fraudulent trading.
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This chapter considers the ingredients of successful action for malicious prosecution. The claimant must show: that the defendant prosecuted him; that the prosecution ended in the defendant’s favour; that there was no reasonable and probable cause for the prosecution; and that the defendant was actuated by ‘malice’. It covers not merely criminal prosecutions but certain forms of abuse of civil process, for example tort claims alleging deceit or malice. Damage also in all cases is a necessary ingredient. The tort, while ancient, is still being actively litigated, and the chapter analyses a number of recent cases in the higher appellate courts.
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Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Lister v Hesley Hall Ltd [2002] 1 AC 215. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Lister v Hesley Hall Ltd [2002] 1 AC 215. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Lister v Hesley Hall Ltd [2002] 1 AC 215. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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Part V of this text looked at the rules relating to corporate finance and transparency. An important justification for corporate disclosure is the need to ensure that sufficient information is publicly available, so that a company’s securities can be accurately priced. Certain persons may seek to benefit from non-publicly available information to benefit themselves or engage in conduct designed to manipulate a company’s share price. This additional online chapter discusses the law’s response to this issue by discussing the offence of insider dealing, the market abuse regime, and the offences relating to financial services.
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The Concentrate Questions and Answers series offers the best preparation for tackling exam and assignment questions. Each book includes key debates, typical questions, diagram answer plans, suggested answers, author commentary, and tips to gain extra marks. This chapter focuses on domestic abuse and considers the civil and criminal law. The first question is a problem question concerning non-molestation orders under the Family Law Act 1996 and injunctions under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. The second question is an essay focusing on occupation orders, whilst the third is a problem question on the criminal law.
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This chapter discusses striking-out orders, discontinuance, and stays in civil proceedings. Rule 3.4(2) of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (CPR) allows the court to strike out a statement of case if it appears to the court: that the statement of case discloses no reasonable grounds for bringing or defending the claim; that the statement of case is an abuse of the court’s process or is otherwise likely to obstruct the just disposal of the proceedings; or that there has been a failure to comply with a rule, practice direction, or court order. A party who realizes their case is doomed is often best advised to discontinue to prevent the accumulation of further costs, but often has to pay the costs of the other parties to date. Stays are temporary halts in proceedings, and can be granted for a range of reasons. A stay is normally lifted once the reason no longer applies.
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This chapter deals with abuses committed in the trading of shares, with particular reference to insider dealing and market manipulation, and the laws intended to control them. The chapter considers forms of control to prevent market abuse under three key pieces of legislation: Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, the Criminal Justice Act 1993 and the Financial Services Act 2012. It looks at regulations governing disclosure to regulated markets and the fiduciary duty of directors, and offences involving insider dealing and creating a false market. The chapter analyses a particularly significant case: Percival v Wright [1902] 2 Ch 421.
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This chapter provides an overview of the tension between the application of competition law and the exercise of IPRs. Key issues are the circumstances in which competition law may be applied to moderate the exercise of IPRs in the relevant market; clauses in intellectual property (IP) licensing agreements between undertakings that might be permissible in terms of EU competition law and those which are not; the conditions under which a refusal to supply products protected by an IP right might constitute an abuse of a dominant position by the right holder; and when competition law can provide a defence to an infringement action.
