Jenks
Never met you, but would be proud to buy you a beer someday.
I'm keeping well clear of the technical arguments in the case, because I'm simply not clued-up enough to comment. However, it seems to me that 'absolutely no doubt whatsoever' is quite sufficiently unequivocal and that the original Board and the House of Lords are occupying the high ground here.
Here's a Spin Doctor's recipe for getting out of this mess, Tony. Stick forward, full opposite rudder.