Lakatamia Shipping Company Ltd & Ors v SU & Ors

Lakatamia Shipping Company Ltd & Ors v SU & Ors

There was no implied permission for Lakatamia to use documents obtained under the search order in the Morimoto Proceedings; Lakatamia's legal team breached CPR 31.22 by using and reviewing documents for collateral purposes without permission. However, given the lack of prejudice, the close connection between proceedings, the public interest in enforcement, and the inadvertent nature of the breach, retrospective permission is granted, but with costs sanctions.

Parties
First Claimant/applicant: Lakatamia Shipping Company Limited; Second Claimant: Slagen Shipping Co. Ltd; Third Claimant: Kition Shipping Co. Ltd; Fourth Claimant: Polys Haji-Ioannou; First Defendant/respondent: Nobu Su (aka Su Hsin Chi; aka Nobu Morimoto); Second Defendant: TMT Co., Limited; Third Defendant: TMT Asia Limited; Fourth Defendant: Taiwan Maritime Transportation Co., Limited; Fifth Defendant: TMT Company Ltd, Panama S. A.; Sixth Defendant: TMT Co., Ltd, Liberia; Seventh Defendant: Iron Monger I Co., Ltd; Additional Party: Toshiko Morimoto
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
09 November 2020
Procedural Posture
Commercial Enforcement/collateral Use Application / Ruling on Application for Permission to Use Documents Obtained Under Search Order in Related Proceedings; Consideration of Retrospective Permission for Collateral Use
Outcome
Retrospective permission for collateral use granted; costs sanction imposed.
Legal Topics
Collateral Use of Disclosed Documents, Search Orders, Breach of Undertaking, Retrospective Permission, Case Management
Civil Procedure Commercial Law Enforcement of Judgments Collateral Use of Disclosed Documents Search Orders Breach of Undertaking Retrospective Permission Case Management

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Parties

Lakatamia Shipping Company Limited

First Claimant/applicant

Slagen Shipping Co. Ltd

Second Claimant

Kition Shipping Co. Ltd

Third Claimant

Polys Haji-Ioannou

Fourth Claimant

Nobu Su (aka Su Hsin Chi; aka Nobu Morimoto)

First Defendant/respondent

TMT Co., Limited

Second Defendant

TMT Asia Limited

Third Defendant

Taiwan Maritime Transportation Co., Limited

Fourth Defendant

TMT Company Ltd, Panama S. A.

Fifth Defendant

TMT Co., Ltd, Liberia

Sixth Defendant

Iron Monger I Co., Ltd

Seventh Defendant

Toshiko Morimoto

Additional Party

Procedural Posture

Commercial Enforcement/collateral Use Application / Ruling on Application for Permission to Use Documents Obtained Under Search Order in Related Proceedings; Consideration of Retrospective Permission for Collateral Use

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether Lakatamia breached CPR 31.22 by using documents obtained under a search order for collateral purposes in related proceedings without permission
  2. 2 Whether implied permission existed to use such documents in related proceedings
  3. 3 Whether retrospective permission for collateral use should be granted despite breaches

Ratio Decidendi

There was no implied permission for Lakatamia to use documents obtained under the search order in the Morimoto Proceedings; Lakatamia's legal team breached CPR 31.22 by using and reviewing documents for collateral purposes without permission. However, given the lack of prejudice, the close connection between proceedings, the public interest in enforcement, and the inadvertent nature of the breach, retrospective permission is granted, but with costs sanctions.

Court Disposition

Retrospective permission for collateral use granted; costs sanction imposed.

Orders

  • Lakatamia granted retrospective permission to use documents obtained under the search order in the Morimoto Proceedings.
  • Lakatamia to pay all costs of the application on the indemnity basis.