Retention of Title - Mixing of Goods

In a recent case involving zinc ingots, the Court held that even though they had been melted down and mixed with another chemical, they still retained their original identity.  The Court decided that the retention of title clause could stand and the ingots would be treated as owned in the proportion to the respective suppliers who had contributed to the originals.

Director - Implied Warranty

An interesting recent case held that by signing a contract on behalf of a company, knowing that the company was unable to pay for the relevant goods, the Director was held to have given an implied personal warranty.  

Whilst this should not be taken as implying that all contracts signed by Directors would contain implied representations, a Director who knows his company cannot pay should be very careful, as he may not be able to hide behind the company's limited liability. 

Contex v Wiseman [2007]

Employment Dispute Procedures - Abolition

The recent Employment Bill proposes the abolition of statutory dismissal and grievance procedures and will instead give Employment Tribunals discretion to increase awards by up to 25% if an employer unreasonably fails to follow the Code of Practice. 

Whilst welcome, it is unlikely to be implemented until April 2009