Privy Council Watch · Term archive
Easter Term 2024
Selected Privy Council appeals heard in April 2024 on commercial risk, BVI appellate procedure, construction claims and disclosure.
Reviewed 24 October 2026 against the official case pages, full judgments and hearing recordings. This archive groups cases by hearing term; judgments were delivered between May and October 2024.
Each entry is an original, concise research summary based on the Court’s official case record. Hearing dates may change. After a hearing, the official case page normally adds recordings; when judgment is delivered, it adds the judgment, neutral citation and press summary. Those materials remain on the Court’s website and are linked here rather than reproduced.
Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) plc v RAV Bahamas Ltd
Question before the Court
Whether a marina owner owed a duty in tort or contract to prevent the theft of a yacht, and whether it was vicariously liable for an employee’s actions before the theft.
Why it matters
The Board dismissed the insurer’s appeal. The marina had not assumed responsibility for guarding against theft, the lease allocated responsibility for the vessel to its owner, and the employee’s preparatory work did not breach a duty or cause the theft. A useful commercial decision on assumption of responsibility, third-party wrongdoing and contractual allocation of risk.
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Official archived sessions
Chhina v Ismail
Question before the Court
Whether a BVI Court of Appeal decision refusing to restore a company-share dispute was final, so that an appeal lay to the Board as of right.
Why it matters
The Board held that the local application test governed finality and that the refusal was not a final decision. There was therefore no appeal as of right; the separate application for permission would be considered on the papers. The judgment gives practical guidance on final and interlocutory orders in BVI and other Privy Council jurisdictions.
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Official archived sessions
Estate Management and Business Development Company Ltd v Junior Sammy Contractors Ltd
Question before the Court
Whether a contractor retained standing after assigning contract receivables by way of charge, and whether specific disclosure should be ordered to investigate proposed abatement and fraud defences.
Why it matters
The Board dismissed the employer’s appeal. The contractor remained entitled to sue, and the proposed defences were fanciful or speculative; the disclosure request was a fishing expedition. Summary judgment for the certified sums was affirmed. Relevant to construction claims, security assignments, summary judgment and the evidential threshold for targeted disclosure.
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Official archived sessions
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