A litigant who has repeatedly attempted to overturn a string of judicial decisions arising from his allegations of a conspiracy involving a law firm dating from 2003 has been barred from bringing further proceedings for two years.
In Hurst v Green & Ors, Mr Justice Mellor described submissions made by Robert Hurst as 'out of touch with reality'. The judge was ruling on an application by Hurst, who was already subject to a civil restraint order, for permission to bring four new actions.
Hurst's chain of litigation arises from a dispute over the sale of his late mother's house. Hurst had claimed that, in 2003, 'undue influence' was exerted against his mother to create two trusts as part of a tax mitigation scheme. His latest applications include attempts to annul his bankruptcy and an order to repay more than £200,000.
The judge dismissed the applications as totally without merit, saying they 'resurrect a whole series of allegations made in his previous witness statements which have already been considered numerous times and rejected'.
Mellor concluded that Hurst 'is unable to see anything but an ever-growing conspiracy'. The alleged conspiracy started in 2003 and now involves 'possibly the entire partnership of [international firm] BLP from 2003-2016 and beyond'.
Repeated groundless applications are precisely what an extended civil restraint order is designed to prevent, the judge said. Ruling that 'there must be finality in litigation', he said Hurst has shown no sign of moving on. 'He has demonstrated no self awareness that his quest is, from the point of view of any reasonable litigant, without any merit. Indeed, his latest contentions... demonstrate just how out of touch with reality his contentions have become.'
Hurst's civil restraint order, which had been due to expire in May 2023, was extended to November 2024.
