The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has said it will deal with the multiple appeals in the complex UK construction bid rigging case separately, and without making any preliminary rulings on common points of principle.
The case involves more than 100 construction firms and has posed a logistics puzzle for the CAT. Some 25 appeals on varying points will now be heard over a three-week period in late-June and July. In September 2009, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) imposed fines totalling £129.2m on 103 construction firms found to have colluded with competitors to artificially inflate prices.
Suzanne Rab, antitrust and competition Counsel at Hogan & Hartson, said: “The CAT’s decision to deal with the appeals in the UK construction bid rigging case separately, rather than collectively, has stretched the CAT procedures and logistics handling. With 25 appeals in all on varying points, some appeals contesting penalty and others challenging liability, the CAT certainly has its hands full but has committed to deal with the cases in an expeditious and fair way.”
