Gillian Ridley v Blackpool County Court
[2023] EWCA Civ 586
Anal Sheikh v The Law Society of England and Wales & Ors
21 August 2024
[2024] EWHC 2185 (Ch)
High Court
A woman with a history of filing many frivolous lawsuits tried to start even more. The court refused, saying her claims were baseless and would waste everyone's time and resources. The court said her actions were an abuse of the court system.
Key Facts
- •Ms. Anal Sheikh, a litigant deemed vexatious, applied for leave under section 42(3) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 to issue an application and initiate fresh proceedings.
- •A 'all proceedings order' was made against Ms. Sheikh in 2019 under section 42 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 due to her history of vexatious litigation.
- •Ms. Sheikh's application sought to reopen numerous concluded cases, including those involving interventions by the Law Society into her practice, and to initiate wide-ranging litigation against various individuals and institutions.
- •Ms. Sheikh's application included numerous allegations of conspiracy, fraud, and human rights violations against the Law Society, various judges, barristers, and other individuals.
- •The application involved voluminous documentation and repeated similar complaints and requests.
Legal Principles
Leave to institute or continue proceedings under section 42(3) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 requires the court to be satisfied that the proceedings are not an abuse of process and there are reasonable grounds for them.
Senior Courts Act 1981, section 42(3)
An 'all proceedings order' under section 42(1A) of the Senior Courts Act 1981 is the highest form of restraint available for vexatious litigants and is only made in the worst cases.
Senior Courts Act 1981, section 42(1A)
Outcomes
Ms. Sheikh's application for leave was dismissed.
The court found that Ms. Sheikh's application was an abuse of process, lacked reasonable grounds, and involved unfounded allegations and conspiracy theories. Granting leave would have unleashed a tidal wave of re-litigation and fresh litigation.