OFT and Visa to intervene in Crehan spat

The Office of Fair Trading and credit card company Visa have been given permission to intervene in the legal dispute between former Inntrepreneur licensee Bernie Crehan and Japanese bank Nomura.

The OFT and Visa both sought to intervene because the case could set a precendent for their own long-running dispute.

Crehan's solicitor Rupert Croft told morningadvertiser.co.uk: "They have been allowed to submit written representations but they have only been given one hour each to present their oral case to the law lords."​

The OFT is also being allowed to address the House of Lords on any other competition issues relevant to the case.

The case is due to be heard on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of nex tweek and Monday and Tuesday of the week after.

Your Comments​Alan Temple​ via email 31/05/2006"The OFT / Visa submissions in the Crehan appeal results from a current case in the courts between the OFT and Visa, apparently a similar case is in progress and one of the litigants is concerned that the Crehan judgment, when it is finally handed down will set a president in this dispute.

Both parties have been granted lease to make submissions to the Law Lords hearing the Crehan case, each has been granted one hour to make their submission, with no cross examination from the Barristers involved in the actual case being hear (Crehan v Inntrepreneur/ Nomura)

I would be interested to know exactly what the OFT / Visa is dispute is all about and which of the two is defending the Article 81 printable, particularly as Visa and Nomura are both banks. On the other hand the OFT has always taken a suspiciously passive line in the Crehan v Inntrepreneur/ Nomura dispute, until now that is.

I just hope that the Lord Lords show the impartiality and integrity that we have all but so much faith in over the past couple on hundred years.