Rachel Sleeman

Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve: commercial fraud and the reasonably diligent claimant

Over the last two years there have been a number of reported cases dealing with the proper interpretation of s 32 of the Limitation Act 1980 which postpones the normal limitation period in cases of fraud, concealment, or mistake. From the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Test Claimants in the Franked II Group Litigation v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2020] UKSC 47 to the Court of Appeal’s decision in OT Computers Ltd v Infineon Technologies AG [2021] EWCA Civ 501, there have been many recent judgments which clarify concepts like “reasonable diligence”. A further recent decision of the High Court in Arif v Sanger [2021] EWHC 3475 (QB) applies the case law in the context of commercial fraud and corporate directors. This article will bring all of these authorities together and review the major developments to the law of limitation.