No Charman Appeal

The House of Lords has refused to hear Mr Charman's appeal from the Court of Appeal decision of 24 May 2007. It was argued that that the £48 million award was 'unfair and unreasonable.' Lords Hope and Walker and Baroness Hale released papers on 31 July announcing their decision. Without giving reasons for their conclusion, the Law Lords said that had the case gone before them it would have focused, among other things, on how courts in future should assess the 'special contribution' by a wife to a marriage such as the Charmans. Their refusal to hear an appeal suggests that the Lords are satisfied that that assessment was rightly carried out.