As a bystander outside the Colleton County Courthouse waved a sign reading “Justice Is Coming Soon,” the State of South Carolina drove the final nails into its double murder case – and perhaps its coffin of criminal justice – against the accused family killer Alex Murdaugh.

After both sides rested their primary cases earlier in a nearly six-week legal marathon that included more than 70 witnesses, the State was allowed to call several “reply” witnesses in a final rebuttal before closing arguments began.

In addition to disputing scientific testimony from Murdaugh’s expert witnesses, these final State witnesses served to hammer

In this post, Lisa Fox, a senior associate in the litigation team at CMS, previews the decision awaited from the Supreme Court in London Borough of Merton v Nuffield Health Ltd.

Factual Background

Nuffield Health acquired Merton Abbey (the “Premises”) on August 1, 2016, when it bought the business of Virgin Active. It applied to the London Borough of Merton (“Merton”) for mandatory and discretionary rate relief. The application for mandatory relief was initially granted (representing 80% of the rates otherwise payable). However, following a visit by Council officers in November 2016, Merton withdrew the relief on the basis that