The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited & Anor v Oliver Hardman

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited & Anor v Oliver Hardman

The defendant was found in contempt of court for failing to provide information required by paragraph 3(c) of the order by the deadline and for entering the prohibited area in breach of paragraph 4. The breach of paragraph 3(c) was a one-off contempt, not a continuing breach. The contempt was serious, deliberate,...

Source-derived case information.

Parties
Claimant: The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited; Claimant: The All England Lawn Tennis Ground PLC; Defendant: Oliver Hardiman
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
16 April 2024
Procedural Posture
Contempt of Court Application / Judgment on Committal Application and Sentencing
Outcome
Defendant found guilty of contempt of court; immediate custodial sentence imposed, with short opportunity to purge contempt before sentence takes effect.
Legal Topics
Contempt of Court, Injunctions, Ticket Touting, Breach of Court Orders
Civil Procedure Sports Law Contempt of Court Injunctions Ticket Touting Breach of Court Orders

Source-derived case record

Summary, issues, holding and outcome

More case intelligence is available

Unlock the full research layer for this judgment.

Full judgment text Downloadable case file Legal principles 3 Authorities cited 13 Party arguments 2 Amounts and remedies 3
Sign in to unlock

Parties

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (Championships) Limited

Claimant

The All England Lawn Tennis Ground PLC

Claimant

Oliver Hardiman

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Contempt of Court Application / Judgment on Committal Application and Sentencing

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the defendant breached the terms of the interim injunction order dated 12 July 2023 by failing to provide information and by entering a prohibited area;
  2. 2 Whether the defendant's breaches constitute contempt of court;
  3. 3 What is the appropriate sanction for the contempt found.

Ratio Decidendi

The defendant was found in contempt of court for failing to provide information required by paragraph 3(c) of the order by the deadline and for entering the prohibited area in breach of paragraph 4. The breach of paragraph 3(c) was a one-off contempt, not a continuing breach. The contempt was serious, deliberate, and not sufficiently mitigated by personal circumstances or alleged third-party pressure. An immediate custodial sentence is warranted.

Court Disposition

Defendant found guilty of contempt of court; immediate custodial sentence imposed, with short opportunity to purge contempt before sentence takes effect.

Orders

  • Defendant sentenced to 4 months imprisonment for contempt for breach of paragraph 3(c) of the order.
  • No separate penalty for breach of paragraph 4 (vicinity ban).