Domestic & General Group Ltd & Ors v Premier Protect Holdings Ltd & Ors [2025] EWHC 2339 (KB) (26 June 2025)

Domestic & General Group Ltd & Ors v Premier Protect Holdings Ltd & Ors [2025] EWHC 2339 (KB) (26 June 2025)

The judge recused himself from hearing the committal applications because he had already considered the essential evidence and made adverse credibility findings against a key witness, creating a risk that an informed observer would perceive a real possibility of bias.

Citation
[2025] EWHC 2339 (KB)
Parties
Claimant/applicant: Domestic & General Group Limited; Claimant/applicant: Domestic & General Insurance PLC; Claimant/applicant: Domestic & General Services Limited; Defendant/respondent: Premier Protect Holdings Limited (In Liquidation); Defendant/respondent: Abdelhak Akayour; Defendant/respondent: Apex Assure Limited (In Liquidation); Defendant/respondent: Belal Ali; Defendant/respondent: Home Protect 365 Limited; Defendant/respondent: Premier Protect 365 SL; Defendant/respondent: Hicham Alami; Defendant/respondent: Rachid El Haddouchi; Defendant/respondent: UK Service Plan Limited; Defendant/respondent: Mohamed Anoir Dhimi; Defendant/respondent: Mohammed Zakria Khan
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
26 June 2025
Procedural Posture
Committal Application / Permission and Recusal Application
Outcome
Partial permission granted; judge recused from committal applications.
Legal Topics
Committal for Contempt, Judicial Recusal, Permission to Proceed
Civil Procedure Contempt of Court Committal for Contempt Judicial Recusal Permission to Proceed

Case Brief

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Parties

Domestic & General Group Limited

Claimant/applicant

Domestic & General Insurance PLC

Claimant/applicant

Domestic & General Services Limited

Claimant/applicant

Premier Protect Holdings Limited (In Liquidation)

Defendant/respondent

Abdelhak Akayour

Defendant/respondent

Apex Assure Limited (In Liquidation)

Defendant/respondent

Belal Ali

Defendant/respondent

Home Protect 365 Limited

Defendant/respondent

Premier Protect 365 SL

Defendant/respondent

Hicham Alami

Defendant/respondent

Rachid El Haddouchi

Defendant/respondent

UK Service Plan Limited

Defendant/respondent

Mohamed Anoir Dhimi

Defendant/respondent

Mohammed Zakria Khan

Defendant/respondent

Procedural Posture

Committal Application / Permission and Recusal Application

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether permission should be granted for committal applications against certain defendants
  2. 2 Whether the judge should recuse himself from hearing the committal applications

Ratio Decidendi

The judge recused himself from hearing the committal applications because he had already considered the essential evidence and made adverse credibility findings against a key witness, creating a risk that an informed observer would perceive a real possibility of bias.

Court Disposition

Partial permission granted; judge recused from committal applications.

Orders

  • Permission refused in relation to Mr Akayour.
  • Permission granted in part in relation to Mr Ali (regarding outbound calls and training materials/scripts), refused in part (regarding transactions/customers).