Eastenders, Hare, Windsor & Ors v CPS [2011] EWCA Crim 143

This case, branded by the CPS as “the most complex restraint and receivership case ever managed”, involved draconian measures imposed upon a major retail company at the peak of its annual trade. For any commercial enterprise, the abrupt freezing of assets in early December is nothing short of ruinous.
Before the Court of Appeal, Riz demonstrated with clarity and force that the evidential foundation presented by the CPS at first instance was wholly inadequate. Though afforded further opportunity to fortify their case, the prosecution was unable to remedy the deficiencies.
The restraint and receivership orders were accordingly quashed.
The judgment stands as a significant marker, admonishing prosecuting authorities that the courts must not be treated as rubber stamps for applications that disrupt commerce, reputations, and livelihoods on such an intrusive scale.