CAT dismisses claim for interim relief in Phenytoin challenge

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (Peter Freeman QC) has rejected an urgent application by Flynn Pharma for interim relief against the CMA’s decision that Flynn should reduce its prices of Phenytoin capsules with effect from Monday.  The Directions form part of the CMA’s decision of 7 December 2016 in which it found that Flynn’s prices (and those of its supplier Pfizer) were excessive.  Flynn and Pfizer both intend to appeal against the CMA’s Decision.

Flynn brought an application for interim relief to prevent the Directions from taking effect until its appeal had been resolved.   Flynn argued that the Directions would cause it serious and irreparable harm including financial losses, a potentially permanent effect on market prices and changes to the organisation of its business.  Flynn offered a cross undertaking to protect the NHS against financial losses which interim relief would cause.  The CMA opposed the application and the Department of Health intervened in support of the CMA.

The Tribunal found that the grant of interim relief would take funds out of the NHS which would otherwise be used to treat patients in need of care in the period pending the appeal.  This would cause irreversible harm to the patients in question.  The Tribunal found that this non-financial harm was detrimental to the public interest, and was the very harm which the Decision was intended to prevent.  The Tribunal ruled that this outweighed any harm which the Directions would cause to Flynn.  It also identified difficulties in applying the cross undertaking which Flynn had proposed.

The application is the first to be decided under the new rule 24 of the Tribunal’s Rules of 2015 which the Tribunal found establishes a new jurisdictional threshold for interim orders.

The judgment can be found here.

Ronit Kreisberger acted for Flynn Pharma.

Rob Williams acted for the CMA.

Brendan McGurk acted for the Department of Health.

CJEU disagrees with Advocate-General on meaning of competition and fiscal neutrality in VAT Directive.

Article 13 of the VAT Directive exempts public bodies from VAT except where this would lead to significant distortions of competition. The decision in Case C-288/07 Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs –v- Isle of Wight Council (2008) ECR I-7203 appeared to say that if the public body and private operators carry on an activity of the same nature, then fiscal neutrality requires that they both be subject to VAT but where the nature of the economic analysis of the distortion of competition (if any) to be carried out was very unclear. In particular, it remained unclear whether a distortion of competition was to be presumed in such circumstances. In Case 344/15 National Roads Authority v Revenue Commissioners, the Advocate General Spzunar on 8th September 2016 expressed the view that even though there was no evidence of actual competition between the Irish public operator of two toll roads (the NRA) and private toll road operators, fiscal neutrality required that the NRA should be subject to VAT on the tolls it charged in the same way as private operators because the two activities were similar in nature so that a distortion of competition must be presumed.

In a decision handed down on 19th January 2017 the CJEU took a different view. The CJEU stated that while the general principle was that any economic activity was to be subject to VAT, that principle could not be applied in a way which deprived the exemption for public bodies of its effectiveness. Treating a public body as non-taxable requires an assessment of economic circumstances. The exception in relation to significant distortions of competition “[43]….presupposes, first, that the activity in question is carried on in competition, actual or potential, with that carried on by private operators and, secondly, that the different treatment of those activities for VAT purposes leads to significant distortions of competition, which must be assessed having regard to economic circumstances. [44] It follows that the mere presence of private operators on a market, without account being taken of matters of fact, objective evidence or an analysis of the market, cannot demonstrate the existence either of actual or potential competition or of a significant distortion of competition.” Since there was no economic analysis or evidence that the NRA competed (actually or potentially) with the private operators, the Court held that the NRA should not be regarded for the purposes of Article 13 as competing with private operators.

Michael M. Collins SC acted for the National Roads Authority.

Please click here for the full judgment.

The magical mystery tour: the Brexit negotiations from an EU perspective

On 17 January, Christopher Muttukumaru CB spoke to a large group of lawyers and administrators in the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment about the imminent Brexit negotiations. The group included officials from other Government departments, including Foreign  Affairs.

He covered  the UK  Prime Minister’s speeches on Brexit. He explored legal aspects of the principal issues that the Dutch Government will face as the Brexit negotiations gather pace.

The issues included the lack of legal clarity and consistency that will result if the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU is removed in relation to those parts of the Single Market rules which will continue to apply to the UK.

The discussion also covered the complexity of the proposal to replicate in domestic law the  provisions of the EU acquis in a Great Repeal Bill. There is clear evidence that that exercise will not be a simple technical transfer to UK domestic law. In the environmental field, for example, the DEFRA Secretary of State has already accepted that one third of the environmental acquis is not capable of simple replication.

With the loss of Commission responsibility for enforcement in a post-Brexit world, there was lively discussion about the alternatives.

Supreme Court hands down three judgments in landmark human rights cases – Serdar Mohammed, Al Waheed, Belhaj and Rahmatullah

The Supreme Court has handed down three important judgments which are expected to have significant impact on the protection of human rights overseas.

Serdar Mohammed v Ministry of Defence & Al Waheed v Ministry of Defence [2017] UKSC 2 (available here) concerned the capture of individuals by UK forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. Following two hearings before a nine-member Supreme Court, the Court held by a majority of 7 to 2 that the UK had authority to detain individuals pursuant to the United Nations Security Council Resolutions authorising the use of all necessary measures if the detention was found to be required for imperative reasons of security – a matter that will be determined by the trial judge in both cases. However, the Court further held by majority of 6 to 3 that the procedural protections afforded to detainees in Afghanistan had in any event been inadequate (there were no findings regarding the procedures in Iraq before the Court).

Belhaj and another v Straw and others & Rahmatullah (No.1) v Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office [2017] UKSC 3 (available here) concerned the UK’s involvement in the capture and rendition of individuals abroad. A seven-member Supreme Court dismissed the Government’s appeal, holding that the Defendants could not rely on state immunity or foreign act of state and that the cases should proceed to trial.

Rahmatullah (No.2) v Ministry of Defence & Mohammed and others v Ministry of Defence [2017] UKSC 1 (available here) concerned tort cases brought by the Claimants under the law of Iraq and Afghanistan. A seven-member Supreme Court held that the Defendant could rely on the doctrine of Crown Act of State and that insofar as the claimants’ tort claims are based on acts of an inherently governmental nature in the conduct of foreign military operations by the Crown, the Government cannot be liable in tort.

Nikolaus Grubeck is acting for Serdar Mohammed, Al Waheed and Rahmatullah.

Julianne Kerr Morrison is acting for Serdar Mohammed.

Josh Holmes – new Queen’s Counsel for Monckton

Monckton Chambers is very pleased to announce the appointment of Josh Holmes to Queen’s Counsel.

The official swearing-in ceremony will take place on 13 February 2017.

The members and staff of Chambers warmly congratulate Josh on his new appointment.

The full list of QC appointments, announced on the 12 January,  can be viewed on the QCA website.

Anneli Howard advises The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in its first competition investigation as East Midlands International Airport Limited (EMIA) and Prestige Parking Limited admit to price fixing.

The CAA has issued a final infringement decision that East Midlands International Airport Limited (EMIA) and Prestige Parking Limited broke competition law by agreeing to fix prices of car parking services at East Midlands International Airport.  See full CAA press release.

Anneli  Howard , acting as the CAA’s Standing Counsel, advised the CAA from the outset of the investigation, including the transfer of the case from the CMA under the concurrency regime, leniency and settlement process, evidence gathering, witness interviews, assisting with drafting the SO and the final decision.

Kassie Smith QC profiled in GCR’s Women in Antitrust 2016

Kassie Smith QC is recognised in the recently published, fifth edition of Women in Antitrust, in which, Global Competition Review (GCR) has profiled 150 successful women in the field of competition law.The publication highlights those women who have been at the forefront of competition law in their respective jurisdictions and made ground-breaking contributions to the ever-changing, increasingly globalised competition landscape.

The report can be read by GCR online subscribers here.

Secretary of State for Health successful in standardised packaging appeal

On 30 November 2016 the Court of Appeal (Lewison LJ, Beatson LJ, Sir Stephen Richards) handed down judgment in R (British American Tobacco and others) v Secretary of State for Health [2016] EWCA Civ 1182. The Court rejected all of the tobacco companies’ grounds of appeal and confirmed the earlier conclusion of the High Court that the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 are lawful.

Ian Rogers QC, Julianne Kerr Morrison and Nikolaus Grubeck acted for the Secretary of State for Health on appeal and in the High Court before Mr Justice Green.

The judgment is available here.

Consent to further prosecution following extradition found to breach International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled in Saxena v. Canada (Communication no. 2118/2011, 3 November 2016) that the consent by Canada to the prosecution of Mr Rakesh Saxena for two offences after his extradition to Thailand to face criminal charges for conspiracy to embezzle money from the Bangkok Bank of Commerce had resulted in a violation of Article 13 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Article 13 requires that any alien lawfully present in a State Party’s territory be allowed to submit the reasons against his expulsion and to have his case reviewed by, and be represented for the purpose before, the competent authority or a person or persons especially designated by the competent authority.

Mr Saxena had been extradited to face criminal charges for conspiracy to embezzle money from the Bangkok Bank of Commerce but the two offences to which Canada subsequently gave its consent to his prosecution had not been listed in the original extradition request and surrender order.

The finding of a violation of Article 13 arose from the fact that Mr Saxena had been deprived of the possibility to comment on the request to waive the specialty rule and that the possibility for him to seek a review of such request by the courts had been foreclosed.In reaching this conclusion the Committee noted that:

  • during the extradition proceedings, Mr Saxena had raised concerns that he could be charged, prosecuted and tried for offences other than those for which he was surrendered;
  • Canada had not denied that it would not have granted the waiver of specialty had it known that he would be charged for other offences committed prior to issuing the extradition order which had not been covered by the surrender order;
  • the waiver was granted notwithstanding the repeated and emphatic assurances by Canada’s judicial and administrative authorities that there would be no breach of the specialty rule, i.e. that Mr Saxena would not be tried in Thailand for offences other than those for which he was extradited;
  • Mr Saxena had not been given the opportunity to challenge the decision on granting consent to the waiver of specialty, thereby depriving him of the due process guarantees he was entitled to in compliance with Article 13 of the Covenant, and that, as a consequence of the procedure, he might have been exposed to a much longer detention and imprisonment; and
  • during the proceedings related to the request by Thailand for granting consent to a waiver of specialty Mr Saxena had remained within the jurisdiction of Canada.

In the view of the Committee, Canada was now obliged, inter alia, to revise and amend its extradition legislation by including a procedure for consent to a waiver of specialty, in full compliance with its obligations under the Covenant and the finding in this case.

Mr Saxena was represented before the Committee by Jeremy McBride.

To view the Committee’s Views, please click here.

Monckton’s WTO experts provide insight into the UK’s trade landscape post a “Hard Brexit”

Leading trade barristers, David Unterhalter SC and Tom Sebastian recently facilitated a round table discussion to an audience of Chambers clientele focussing on the UK’s trade relationships after a ‘Hard Brexit’. Four core issues were discussed: (1) what are the political and legal uncertainties surrounding the UK’s WTO Membership; (2) how is WTO law enforced and what sort of role is the UK likely to play in the WTO dispute settlement system; (3) how will a ‘Hard Brexit’ affect existing free trade agreements between the EU and third countries;  and (4) how can WTO law assist in contingency planning.

The lively and interactive presentations provided considerable insight and thought for our clients as they prepare for the post-Brexit trading landscape.

David Unterhalter SC

David is the former Chair of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), its permanent adjudicative branch. It determines appeals by member countries of the WTO concerning their rights and obligations in trade disputes. In addition, he has appeared in many trade remedy cases before the domestic authorities in South Africa: the Board of Tariffs and Trade and its successor, the International Trade Commission. David also serves on the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC. He is one of South Africa’s foremost barristers and joined Monckton Chambers in 2009. He has a leading practice in competition law, trade law, public and commercial law and is renowned for his superb trial advocacy before a host of domestic and international courts and arbitral tribunals.

Tom Sebastian

Tom is a public international law specialist with particular experience of WTO law and investment treaty law. He joined Monckton Chambers in 2012 following 10 years of practice at the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (an international organisation which represents States in WTO disputes) in Geneva and within the international arbitration group of a magic circle law firm in London. He has acted in over 20 treaty cases and has in-depth understanding of the commercial, regulatory and political factors that give rise to international trade and investment disputes. He has appeared before WTO panels, the WTO’s Appellate body and before tribunals established under bilateral investment treaties. He has also has experience of acting in inter-state mediation proceedings.

Legal 500 recently commented that ‘He combines astute and sound advice with an invaluable “bigger picture” strategy’ and as ‘One of the few juniors with a proper understanding of public international law matters’