Read the full judgment text of on BabelCite. was delivered on 29 July 1997.
1. By a summons dated 27th March 1997 the Defendant moves to dismiss this consolidated action for want of prosecution on the well-known grounds adumbrated in Birkett v. James , [1978] AC 297, namely, that there has been inordinate and inexcusable delay in this action on the part of the Plaintiffs or their lawyers, such that there is a substantial risk that it is not possible to have a fair trial of the issues in the action or such that it is likely to cause or to have caused serious prejudice to