Tchenguiz brothers lose appeal
PROTECTION previously afforded to thousands of people in divorce proceedings has been removed following a landmark Court of Appeal judgement.
Until now a husband or wife who came across information showing their partner was hiding money could copy it, use it and put it before the courts.
But the court reversed the principle, intended to help the financially weak, as part of a bitter multimillion-pound divorce battle involving Lisa Tchenguiz, sister of property tycoons Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz, and her former husband Vivian Imerman, who once owned Del Monte Foods.
The judgement ruled that the financial information downloaded from Imerman’s
computer in secret by the Tchenguiz brothers to help their sister’s divorce proceedings was taken unlawfully and should be handed back to him.
“This is a victorious day for Mr Imerman. His documents should not have been taken,” said his lawyer, Renato Labi of Hughes Fowler Carruthers.
Carruthers added: “This is a landmark ruling because it overturns decades of practice in the family courts which have encouraged spouses to secretly obtain, copy and use the other’s documents in divorce proceedings.”