Economic abuse, the bank, and the devil in the detail: <i>One Savings Bank plc v Catherine Waller-Edwards</i> [2024] EWCA Civ 302

In One Savings Bank plc v Catherine Waller-Edwards , 1 the Court of Appeal considered – for the first time – whether banks are put on constructive notice to potential undue influence in joint benefit remortgage/suretyship hybrid transactions. At a time where there is an increasing awareness of economic abuse as a form of domestic abuse, 2 this appeal offered an important opportunity to reassess banks’ responsibilities in assisting potential victim-survivors. Unfortunately, that opportunity was not seized. In this case comment, I set out the negative impacts the Court of Appeal judgment could have on victim-survivors of economic abuse going forward, and how these concerns could – since this case has now been given leave to appeal – be addressed by the Supreme Court.