All in Covid

Can retailers claim their head office rent arrears are “protected rent debts” under the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022?

It was argued by Ernest Jones and H Samuel (and its parent company Signet Trading Limited) that because they are a retail business - and because the purpose of its office premises in question was to support that retail business - the office premises were subject to a closure requirement for the purposes of the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022.