Insights
Monthly Archives: February 2025
Richmond Chambers' Fletcher Pilditch KC secures landmark ruling on digital search powers
24 February 2025: In a significant judgment, the Court of Appeal has found that many SFO investigative practices for digital evidence gathering are unlawful. 'The judgment brings overdue clarity to the scope of investigative powers in the digital context,' notes Fletcher Pilditch KC, who argued the case for the defendant. The ruling establishes that section 9 notices cannot be used to seize electronic devices and that search warrants must be more precisely targeted.
Supreme Court Clarifies "Proper Purpose" Test for Trustee Appointments
10 February 2025: Richmond Chambers' Josh McBride and Rachael Woods have successfully represented the respondents in Legler v Formannoij, a significant Supreme Court decision examining the boundaries of proper purpose in trustee appointments. The majority upheld the appointment of a corporate trustee controlled by a beneficiary, providing important guidance on when such arrangements may withstand challenge despite the inherent potential for conflicts of interest.
