Harry Lambert appeared for the successful Claimants in landmark High Court human trafficking action
Mr Justice Lane today handed down judgment in favour of the Claimants in their ground-breaking civil action for damages as a result of human trafficking.
The judgment concludes that company directors Darrell Houghton and his partner, Jackie Judge, are personally liable for the alleged contractual and related statutory breaches of their company, DJ Houghton Catching Services Ltd. It is a judgment which will have hugely significant ramifications not only in this litigation (where the company had no assets) but in future cases where it will pave the way for future victims of trafficking to advance similar arguments and to defeat attempts by company directors evade liability by reference to their separate legal personality.
In a lengthy judgment spanning 78 pages, the Claimants succeeded on each and every issue.
Harry appeared for the Claimants, instructed by Messrs Leigh Day.
Harry has a particular interest in the emerging field of civil redress for human trafficking and was recently part of a group of specialist trafficking lawyers which convened and provided written advice to the Lords on the forthcoming Modern Slavery Bill. With his background in product liability/tort law, he combines creative thinking about causes of action (often necessary in the absence of a tort of human trafficking) with a rigorous approach to quantum.
Link to judgment can be found here.