REINTERPRETING THE REINTERPRETATION OF THE REINTERPRETATION OF FAIRCHILD

Extract

FAIRCHILD v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd. [2002] UKHL 22; [2003] 1 A.C. 32 was a hard case that made bad law. Now, for the fourth time, an appeal has gone to the highest tribunal, to unravel Fairchild's resulting complications. International Energy Group Ltd. v Zurich Insurance plc. [2015] UKSC 33; [2015] 2 W.L.R. 1471 (“Zurich”) represents “yet another demanding chapter in [that] difficult series of decisions”: at [189], per Lord Neuberger and Lord Reed. Zurich's resolution took seven judges, in four reasoned judgments, 211 paragraphs, or 80 pages of the law reports – some 46,000 words.