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The Star
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Wimbledon expansion planning permission cleared by UK court after challenge
A protestor, dressed as a strawberry, from the campaign group Save Wimbledon Park, holds a sign which says "Berry Angry" outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Britain, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) -Wimbledon's plans to expand the grounds for the world's oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam in tennis overcame its first legal hurdle on Monday, as London's High Court rejected a challenge to the project by campaigners. Campaign group Save Wimbledon Park took legal action over planning permission granted to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), which wants to treble the size of its main site in a 200 million-pound ($269.6-million) project. The expansion would feature 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, could increase daily capacity from 42,000 to 50,000 people, and allow qualifying rounds to be held on site, which has been home to the Championships since 1877. The AELTC's plans to redevelop a former golf course which it owns are supported by several leading players, including Novak Djokovic, and some local residents. Planning permission was approved by the Greater London Authority last year, but Save Wimbledon Park argued at a hearing this month that the GLA failed to properly take account of restrictions on redeveloping the land, agreed when the AELTC's parent company bought the golf course freehold in 1993. Judge Pushpinder Saini rejected Save Wimbledon Park's challenge to the lawfulness of planning permission, but Wimbledon's plans still face another legal hurdle about the status of the land, which will be heard early next year. (Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Kate Holton and Sarah Young)
Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Wimbledon expansion planning permission cleared by UK court after challenge
A protestor, dressed as a strawberry, from the campaign group Save Wimbledon Park, holds a sign which says \"Berry Angry\" outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Britain, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Tobin LONDON - Wimbledon's plans to expand the grounds for the world's oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam in tennis overcame its first legal hurdle on Monday, as London's High Court rejected a challenge to the project by campaigners. Campaign group Save Wimbledon Park took legal action over planning permission granted to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), which wants to treble the size of its main site in a 200 million-pound ($269.6-million) project. The expansion would feature 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, could increase daily capacity from 42,000 to 50,000 people, and allow qualifying rounds to be held on site, which has been home to the Championships since 1877. The AELTC's plans to redevelop a former golf course which it owns are supported by several leading players, including Novak Djokovic, and some local residents. Planning permission was approved by the Greater London Authority last year, but Save Wimbledon Park argued at a hearing this month that the GLA failed to properly take account of restrictions on redeveloping the land, agreed when the AELTC's parent company bought the golf course freehold in 1993. Judge Pushpinder Saini rejected Save Wimbledon Park's challenge to the lawfulness of planning permission, but Wimbledon's plans still face another legal hurdle about the status of the land, which will be heard early next year. REUTERS
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Wimbledon expansion plan under fire from local campaigners
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A protestor, dressed as a strawberry, from the campaign group Save Wimbledon Park, holds a sign which says \"Berry Angry\" outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Britain, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Tobin LONDON - Wimbledon's plans to expand the grounds for the world's oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam in tennis came under scrutiny on Tuesday as campaigners' challenge to the expansion began at the High Court in London. Campaign group Save Wimbledon Park is taking legal action over planning permission granted to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), which wants to treble the size of its main site in a 200 million-pound ($271.5-million) project. The expansion would feature 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, could increase daily capacity from 42,000 to 50,000 people, and allow qualifying rounds to be held on site, which has been home to the Championships since 1877. The AELTC's plans to redevelop a former golf course which it owns are supported by several leading players, including Novak Djokovic, and some local residents. Planning permission was approved by the Greater London Authority (GLA) last year. But Save Wimbledon Park says the GLA failed to properly take account of restrictions on redeveloping the land, which were agreed when the AELTC's parent company bought the Wimbledon Park golf course freehold in 1993. The group's lawyer Sasha White said the land is part of a registered park of special historic interest and located in a conservation area, telling the court: "You could not have a more protected piece of land in London." TWO LEGAL CASES About 250 of the group's supporters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice before the two-day hearing, with one holding a placard bearing three-time Wimbledon men's singles champion John McEnroe's catchphrase: "You cannot be serious." Wendy Wright, a local resident, told Reuters that the expansion could lead to other pieces of protected land in the British capital being developed. "If one goes down then it sets a legal precedent for all the others," she said outside court. Lawyers representing the GLA and the AELTC, however, say the plans were lawfully approved and the impact of any restrictions on the land were not relevant to planning permission. The AELTC also argues that the planned expansion would have significant benefits for the local community and secure the future of Wimbledon at its current site. The start of the hearing on Tuesday – which coincides with the singles quarter-finals – is one of two at the High Court concerning Wimbledon's expansion plans, with a vital hearing due in January. In that case, brought by the AELTC against Save Wimbledon Park, the club is seeking a ruling that the golf course land is not subject to certain restrictions – and accepts that the restrictions would make expansion impossible if they were to apply. REUTERS
The Star
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Tennis-Wimbledon expansion plan under fire from local campaigners
A protestor, dressed as a strawberry, from the campaign group Save Wimbledon Park, holds a sign which says "Berry Angry" outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Britain, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) -Wimbledon's plans to expand the grounds for the world's oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam in tennis came under scrutiny on Tuesday as campaigners' challenge to the expansion began at the High Court in London. Campaign group Save Wimbledon Park is taking legal action over planning permission granted to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC), which wants to treble the size of its main site in a 200 million-pound ($271.5-million) project. The expansion would feature 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, could increase daily capacity from 42,000 to 50,000 people, and allow qualifying rounds to be held on site, which has been home to the Championships since 1877. The AELTC's plans to redevelop a former golf course which it owns are supported by several leading players, including Novak Djokovic, and some local residents. Planning permission was approved by the Greater London Authority (GLA) last year. But Save Wimbledon Park says the GLA failed to properly take account of restrictions on redeveloping the land, which were agreed when the AELTC's parent company bought the Wimbledon Park golf course freehold in 1993. The group's lawyer Sasha White said the land is part of a registered park of special historic interest and located in a conservation area, telling the court: "You could not have a more protected piece of land in London." TWO LEGAL CASES About 250 of the group's supporters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice before the two-day hearing, with one holding a placard bearing three-time Wimbledon men's singles champion John McEnroe's catchphrase: "You cannot be serious." Wendy Wright, a local resident, told Reuters that the expansion could lead to other pieces of protected land in the British capital being developed. "If one goes down then it sets a legal precedent for all the others," she said outside court. Lawyers representing the GLA and the AELTC, however, say the plans were lawfully approved and the impact of any restrictions on the land were not relevant to planning permission. The AELTC also argues that the planned expansion would have significant benefits for the local community and secure the future of Wimbledon at its current site. The start of the hearing on Tuesday – which coincides with the singles quarter-finals – is one of two at the High Court concerning Wimbledon's expansion plans, with a vital hearing due in January. In that case, brought by the AELTC against Save Wimbledon Park, the club is seeking a ruling that the golf course land is not subject to certain restrictions – and accepts that the restrictions would make expansion impossible if they were to apply. (Reporting by Sam Tobin and Amy-Jo CrowleyEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Lawyers face sanctions for citing fake cases with AI, warns UK judge
By Sam Tobin LONDON (Reuters) -Lawyers who use artificial intelligence to cite non-existent cases can be held in contempt of court or even face criminal charges, London's High Court warned on Friday, in the latest example of generative AI leading lawyers astray. A senior judge lambasted lawyers in two cases who apparently used AI tools when preparing written arguments, which referred to fake case law, and called on regulators and industry leaders to ensure lawyers know their ethical obligations. "There are serious implications for the administration of justice and public confidence in the justice system if artificial intelligence is misused," Judge Victoria Sharp said in a written ruling. "In those circumstances, practical and effective measures must now be taken by those within the legal profession with individual leadership responsibilities ... and by those with the responsibility for regulating the provision of legal services." The ruling comes after lawyers around the world have been forced to explain themselves for relying on false authorities, since ChatGPT and other generative AI tools became widely available more than two years ago. Sharp warned in her ruling that lawyers who refer to non-existent cases will be in breach of their duty to not mislead the court, which could also amount to contempt of court. She added that "in the most egregious cases, deliberately placing false material before the court with the intention of interfering with the administration of justice amounts to the common law criminal offence of perverting the course of justice". Sharp noted that legal regulators and the judiciary had issued guidance about the use of AI by lawyers, but said that "guidance on its own is insufficient to address the misuse of artificial intelligence".
