Hopcraft v Close Brothers Ltd

Subject Matter

EQUITY — Fiduciary duty — Existence of duty — Customer buying car from dealer with credit provided by lender — Lender paying dealer commission for acting as intermediary with customer — Whether dealer owing customer fiduciary duty in relation to arranging of credit

[2025] UKSC 33; [2025] 3 WLR 423, SC(E)

TORT — Cause of action — Bribery — Whether common law tort of bribery to be abolished — Whether necessary that recipient of payment owing fiduciary duty — Whether partial disclosure of payment sufficient to avoid liability

[2025] UKSC 33; [2025] 3 WLR 423, SC(E)

CONSUMER PROTECTION — Consumer credit — Agreement — Customer buying car from dealer with credit provided by lender — Lender paying dealer undisclosed commission for acting as intermediary with customer — Whether relationship between lender and customer “unfair” — Consumer Credit Act 1974 (c 39), s 140A

[2025] UKSC 33; [2025] 3 WLR 423, SC(E)

Appellate History