Sports Direct '˜abusing' legal system in dispute with Rangers FC, High Court judge says

Mr Justice Peter Smith made the comments at a hearing in London yesterday over a dispute between the sportswear company and Rangers Football Club, according to national newspaper reports.

He took the unusual step of marking his disapproval of Sports Direct’s approach in the case, which centres around the breach of a confidentiality agreement between the firm and the club.

Sports Direct had initially claimed £200,000 damages from Rangers before reducing this to £50,000 and then dropping their damages claim altogether and instead asking for injunctions.

Mr Justice Smith said: “The whole way that the claimants have been conducting themselves...shows that they have been abusing processes of the court in relation to the damages claim.”

Tuesday’s hearing was to analyse preliminary issues ahead of a trial due to take place next month in London.