Showing 39 results

collections
GB 249 FLYNN/1/1/1 · Item · 1974-2003
Part of Laurie Flynn papers on the asbestos industry

Correspondence and news coverage following the out of court settlement in the South African group action brought against Cape plc (formerly Cape Asbestos Company Ltd, from 1974 Cape Industries Ltd) in December 2001, after a 5 year battle. Also earlier notes, correspondence and research materials on the South African asbestos industry. Includes:

  • correspondence with ITV re a film project 'You will know us by the trail of death' (originally outlined in 1988 under the title 'Outrageous misconduct - asbestos as metaphor'; see FLYNN/2/1/3)
  • set of microfiches of Charter Consolidated company papers, filmed 1978
  • Flynn's handwritten notes on his background research c.1980-1982, including on the suppression of the research of the Johannesburg Pneumoconiosis Research Unit
  • correspondence between Richard Creasey (BBC, formerly World in Action) and Anthony Mendelle (employee at Cape Asbestos Company Ltd, Barking 1956-1968) following the BBC documentary 'The right to know', April 1974, re producing a WIA documentary about Cape Asbestos in South Africa. See also Mendelle deposition (1984) at FLYNN/1/2/6. Creasey had conducted the investigation for WIA documentary 'The dust at Acre Mill' (transmitted in June 1971), the first programme to bring the lethal dangers of asbestos to the attention of the general public, on the example of the Acre Mill asbestos factory at Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire.

Correspondence and papers relating to Nancy Tait's campaign to question Dr Kevin Browne's suitability as Medical Officer of the Department of Health and Social Security, whilst serving at the same time as medical consultant for Cape Industries. In reverse chronological order. In Tait's own words (20 September 1994), she had "waged war on Kevin Browne's appointment since 1987". Includes:

  • correspondence (in particular with MP Frank Dobson), press statements, newspaper articles, Parliamentary Questions, 1986-1988
  • correspondence with Kevin Browne 1983

Further,

  • Tait’s notes on chrysotile c.2003, listing of SPAID/OEDA lung cancer cases
  • copy of Browne’s presentation ‘Differences in asbestos fibre types’, presented at the International Conference on Chrysotile Asbestos Cement Products, New Delhi, 10-11 November 2003
  • correspondence re K Browne 1987-1995, including re his deposition in Chase Manhattan Bank v. T&N plc et al., United States District Court, Southern District of New York [1994]; see link below
  • copy of Cape Industry advertisement for a Group Medical Advisor, in British Medical Journal, October 1977
  • copies of scientific publications relating to asbestos induced diseases 1977-1994
Statements about employers
GB 249 OEDA/B/2/4 · File · 1983, c.1990-c.2006
Part of Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association (William Ashton Tait) Archives
  • mainly witness statements, arranged alphabetically by name of employer, occasionally also by surname of client or type of business (“dockyard”)
  • occasionally particulars of claim

Named employers / insurers include: British Cellophane Ltd, British Insulated Calender Cables (BICC), British Telecommunications plc, Cape plc, Central Insulated Ltd, Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB), Ellistown Colliery, Ford Motor Company, R B Hilton Ltd, Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), North Thames Gas, C A Parsons, Powergen Ltd, Rank Xerox, Redpath Brown, RTZ Estates Ltd, E A & H Sandford (Insulations) Ltd, etc.

Front matter includes guidelines for witness statements (‘Information which solicitors will require from colleagues’).

GB 249 OEDA/G/2/3 · File · 1916, 1985-2003
Part of Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association (William Ashton Tait) Archives

Correspondence and papers (chiefly papers) relating to the South African law suit against Cape Asbestos.

Includes papers of BAMCWU, the Black Allied Mining and Construction Workers’ Union, which organised workers in the Penge mine in the Sekhukhune District, South Africa. Also includes a photocopy of extract from Union of South Africa, Department of Mines and Industries 'Annual report of the Government Mining Engineer for the calendar year ended 31 December 1915'.

South Africa
GB 249 DAL/8/27/15 · File · 1997 - 2003
Part of Alan Dalton papers

Correspondence and papers on asbestos in South Africa, including compensation claims against Cape plc by South African workers. Includes:

  • photographs of demonstration
  • press cuttings
  • Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) leaflets and newsletters
GB 249 FLYNN/2/2/12 · Item · 2003-2005, n.d.
Part of Laurie Flynn papers on the asbestos industry
  • press coverage 2003-2005 including 'Bloomington woman awarded $5 million in wrongful death asbestos suit', 2005
  • Flynn's notes on NAAC/Cape, sample of NAAC corporate seal.

Remaining content exactly duplicated material listed at GB 249 FLYNN/2/2/8 and has therefore been removed.

GB 249 FLYNN/2/2/11 · Item · 1982-1999
Part of Laurie Flynn papers on the asbestos industry

Correspondence with James Walker including copies of:

  • opinion of Justice McMorrow (filed 21 October 1999), in Delores McLure v. Owens Corning Fiberglass Corporation, Illinois Supreme Court
  • Dr Schepers' response to Dr Case "regarding personal motives, state of the art, and Canadian workers comp[ensation] system", January 1999
  • opinion of the court (filed 11 August 1998), in Delores McLure v. Owens Corning Fiberglass Corporation, Fourth District, Illinois
  • opinion of the court (filed 29 May 1998), in Marge Cameron v. Owens Corning Fiberglass Corporation et al., Appellate Court, Illinois
  • opinion of the court (filed 23 November 1994), in Samuel Thomas Adcock v. Brakegate Ltd et al., presumably McLean County, Illinois
  • opinion of the court (filed 31 March 1988), in Clarence Craig and Duveen A Craig v. Lakes Asbestos of Quebec Ltd et al. v. Charter Consolidated plc et al., US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, reversing district court view that Charter Consolidated plc was liable under New Jersey law for the tort obligations of its subsidiary Cape Industries plc on an alter ego or piercing the corporate veil theory
  • court's findings (12 September 1983), in Elmer Allen et al. v. PPG Industries Inc. et al., District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Tyler Division, following non-appearance of the defendants Cape Industries plc, Capasco Ltd and Egnep Ltd
  • opinion of the court (filed 1 July 1983), in Anthony A Barber v. Pittsburgh Corning Corporation et al., appeal of Charter Consolidated Ltd et al., Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  • Flynn's aide memoir re Charter deposition, 15 April 1983
  • North American press coverage c.1965 to 1984, inc. copies of ‘Asbestos Litigation Reporter’ 1981 and photocopies of correspondence relating to asbestos industry and/or disease

Some components announced in the inscription (Selikoff 1977 interview, Steve McQueen notes, IHP notes to J Todd) not found. Components 'Brodeur' and 'LF 1982/US notes' transferred to FLYNN/2/1.

GB 249 FLYNN/1/1/3 · Item · 1994-2005
Part of Laurie Flynn papers on the asbestos industry

Correspondence chiefly with personal injury lawyer Richard Meeran of Leigh Day & Co solicitors, 1994-2001. Relates to case Afrika et al. v. Cape plc and its argument that a parent company owes a direct duty of care in tort to anybody injured by a subsidiary company in a group. Includes:

  • press coverage 2004-2005
  • joint asbestos initiative paper of the International Miners Organisation, African Miners Federation, National Union of Mineworkers, and Leigh Day & Co solicitors
  • copy of opinions of the Lords of Appeal for Judgement in the cause of Schalk Willem Burger Lubbe et al. v. Cape plc (2000)
  • copy of judgement Rachel Jacoba Lubbe & Ors v. Cape plc (1999)
  • Flynn's notes on a meeting on foreign plaintiffs and access to English courts in transnational litigation, British Institute of International and Comparative Law and Solicitors' Human Rights Group, November 1999
  • copy of judgement Moses Fano Sithole et al. v. Thor Chemical Holdings Ltd et al. (1998)
  • copy of draft judgement Rachel Jacoba Lubbe & Ors v. Cape plc (1998)
  • copy of judgement Rachel Jacoba Lubbe et al. v. Cape plc (1997)
  • copy of opinions of the Lords of Appeal for Judgement in the cause of Connelly v. RTZ Corporation plc et al. (1997)
  • copy of affidavit John Carol Anthony Davies in Rachel Jacoba Lubbe et al. v. Cape plc (1997)
  • copy of affidavit Richard Meeran in Rachel Jacoba Lubbe et al. v. Cape plc (1997)
  • copy of consolidated statement of claim, Busisiwe Ngcobo et al. v. Thor Chemicals Holdings Ltd et al. (1995)
  • copy of judgement Edward Connelly v. RTZ Corporation plc (1996)
GB 249 FLYNN/2/2/9 · Item · 1995
Part of Laurie Flynn papers on the asbestos industry
  • Plaintiff’s memorandum of law (in re asbestos personal injury cases, Arrington Lead No 93-9-114 et al.) in opposition to Charter’s motion to dismiss the second amended complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction, submitted by Hayden S Dent, 6 December 1995, in the Circuit Court of Jones County, Mississippi, Second Judicial District

Argues among other things that at all times Charter and its predecessor Central Mining controlled Cape's mining operations in South Africa and that therefore the corporate distinction between the two companies should be disregarded and Charter should assume Cape's contacts with the State of Mississippi. Further, that the Court should disregard the corporate veil between Cape and Charter because Cape had introduced into the marketplace a product which it knew would be dangeous to the end user. Etc.

GB 249 OEDA/G/2/2/1 · File · Correspondence 1983-2002
Part of Occupational and Environmental Diseases Association (William Ashton Tait) Archives
  • correspondence and papers re Rita Ann Ashdown, mesothelioma victim, who had lived in a Council flat on the Harts Lane Estate in Barking, the former site of a Cape Asbestos factory. Includes particulars of claim Rita Ann Ashdown v. London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, 2002; press coverage 2001-2003
  • correspondence and papers re Barbara Ann Mead, d. 2002 of mesothelioma: transcript of coroners proceedings
  • correspondence and papers re Barking, 1993-2001, including telephone memoranda, solicitors’ correspondence and press coverage
  • copy of a report by Dr Kevin Browne, 25 January 1995, on a recent claim brought against Cape by a Barking resident
  • correspondence with Peter Brady, Dublin, 1986, on his own case against Cape, including photocopy of minutes of a meeting of directors of Cape Insulation (Ireland) Ltd, 1977
  • SPAID correspondence re Barking 1983-1986
  • articles on SPAID‘s work 1984-1985, typescript of case notes Homerton University Hospital, Hackney, from Nancy Tait’s presentation (with Dr V J Harvey), ‘Mesothelioma patients referred to Hackney Hospital – a preliminary report’, Anglo-French Social Medicine conference, Winchester, 1983
  • reports (1983) on safety arrangements at Cape Asbestos, Barking, and copies of related records 1956-1968, received through Anthony T Mendelle via litigator Richard Meeran. Including photocopies of Cape Asbestos Barking Factory Annual Report 1961 & 1962, also report on a visit to Cape subsidiary plants in the USA (n.d.). Mendelle was products manager (1956-1960) and production manager (1960-1968) at Cape Asbestos Company Ltd, Barking