1960s court cases

• Reference:GB 3002 GD014/3/1/1
• Dates of Creation:1931-1965
• Physical Description:
  14 items

• Scope and Content

  Correspondence relating to the two Harris Tweed court cases that took place in the early 1960s, including preparation and aftermath. These cases were closely related - the second case being brought due to a lack of progress with the first one, and a disagreeement over whether the English High Court should be adjudicating over Scottish companies. As such, the correspondence is also frequently combined in the same folder. Correspondence relating to the 1934 amendment of the definition of Harris Tweed to include cloth made with mill-spun yarn is also included, as part of the run-up to the court cases.

  Macaulay, (A.) (Tweeds) Ltd., & Ors. v. Independent Harris Tweed Producers Ltd., and Others

  This court case active in England occurred between 1960 and 1965. It began in the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice, and involved a 'passing off' case brought under the Merchandise Marks Act by a group of island Harris Tweed producers ('Orb producers') against a number of producers selling items as Harris Tweed that did not conform to the official definition, heard by Mr Justice Cross.

  Argyllshire Weavers Ltd. and Others v. A. Macaulay (Tweeds) Ltd., & Others

  This court case was active in Scotland between 1961 and 1964. It began in the Court of Session, and was brought by four mainland producers (of the Independent Harris Tweed Producers Ltd. - IHTP) against various island Harris Tweed producers ('Orb producers'), a Stornoway mill, and the HTA. It was heard by Lord Hunter. The mainland producers wanted the court to make a judgement that IHTP were entitled to call their product 'Harris Tweed', and to stop the Orb producers and the HTA saying that IHTP-produced tweed was not Harris Tweed.

  Legal documents from the English case are incorporated in this subseries. For the legal documents from the latter case, see GD014/4.