A trial had taken place in which the principal issue was the upper boundary of the plaintiff’s fishery. On appeal the defendant proposed to rely on new evidence discovered among the papers in another action tried over a hundred years before. The papers included proofs of witnesses. The papers had been prepared on behalf of … Continue reading Calcraft v Guest: CA 1898
The court excluded the answers of a prisoner in custody, on the authority of R. v. Gavin, saying that the constable was entrapping the prisoner and trying by a trick to set a broken-down case on its legs again. Judges: Hawkins, J. Citations: (1898) 19 Cox 16 Citing: Applied – Regina v Gavin 1888 The … Continue reading Regina v Histed: 1898
AL Smith LJ: ‘The court ought to be slow to strike out a statement of claim or defence, and to dismiss an action as frivolous and vexatious yet it ought to do so when as here, it has been shown that the identical question sought to be raised has already been decided by a competent … Continue reading Stevenson v Garnett: 1898
The prisoner challenged the decision to place him in segregation under Prison Rule 43. Under rule 43(1) the initial power to segregate was given to ‘the governor’. The case arose from the fact that the governor of one prison had purported to authorise the segregation of a prisoner on his arrival at another prison to … Continue reading Regina v Deputy Governor of Parkhurst Prison, Ex parte Hague, Weldon v Home Office: HL 24 Jul 1991
The applicant had been committed to prison pending extradition proceedings brought by Hong Kong alleging substantial fraud. He challenged the committal on the grounds that since the allegations involved transmission of funds over international borders, if he had committed the acts alleged in the UK an offence would not have been committed, since the funds … Continue reading Regina v Governor of Pentonville Prison, Ex Parte Osman: QBD 30 Mar 1988
Complaint was made that the prisoner’s privileged conversations with his solicitors had been intercepted by the police. Held: The Act made explicit provisions allowing such interception and set out the appropriate safeguards. The interceptions were lawful. It was significant that a code of practice had been issued making detailed provision for the authorisation of monitoring … Continue reading McE, Re; McE v Prison Service of Northern Ireland and Another: HL 11 Mar 2009
The House gave guidance how it would treat an invitation to depart from a previous decision of the House. Such a course was possible, but the direction was not an ‘open sesame’ for a differently constituted committee to prefer their views to those of the committee which determined the decision unanimously or by a majority. … Continue reading Practice Statement (Judicial Precedent): HL 1966
The court heard a case dealing with a claim for breach of a duty to fence dangerous machinery under the Act. Held: Legislation protecting safety in the workplace gives rise to an action by a person for whom the protection was intended for breach of statutory duty.Vaughan Williams LJ said: ‘it cannot be doubted that, … Continue reading Groves v Lord Wimborne: CA 1898
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The court was asked whether a cause of action arose from a breach of the Prison Rules 1933. Goddard LJ said: ‘With regard to the prison rules, it would be enough to say that there were no breaches, but, in case a higher court should take a different view, I should say that, in my … Continue reading Arbon v Anderson: 1943
Golden Thread of British Justice – Proof of Intent The appellant had been convicted of the murder of his wife. She had left him and returned to live with her mother. He went to the house. He said he intended to frighten her that he would kill himself if she did not return. He wired … Continue reading Woolmington v Director of Public Prosecutions: HL 23 May 1935
The parties had married, but the male partner was a transsexual, having been born female and having undergone treatment for Gender Identity Dysphoria. After IVF treatment, the couple had a child. As the marriage broke down the truth was revealed in court, but the plaintiff said that his wife had known the true position. He … Continue reading J v S T (Formerly J): CA 21 Nov 1996
The claimant had been seriously injured in an accident during a swimming lesson. She sought to claim against the local authority, and now appealed against a finding that it was not responsible, having contracted out the provision of swimming lessons. She said that the duty of care was non-delegable. Held: Her appeal succeeded. For a … Continue reading Woodland v Essex County Council: SC 23 Oct 2013
Severe flood damage had been caused to a factory, where air-conditioning was being installed, by the negligence of a fitter’s mate; the fitter and his mate had been supplied on a labour only basis by the third defendant to the second defendant to whom some of the work had been sub-contracted. Held: Both the second … Continue reading Viasystems (Tyneside) Ltd v Thermal Transfer (Northern) Ltd and others: CA 10 Oct 2005
The defendant appealed against his conviction of manslaughter of his baby son. He said that a family court had previously investigated the same allegations and had explicitly found itself unable to say which of himself and the mother were responsible for the death. Held: A prosecutor in a criminal a case has a broader duty … Continue reading Levey, Regina v: CACD 27 Jul 2006
The defendant had been accused of conspiracy to produce pirate copies of films obtained by purchasing copies from cinema owners without the knowledge or consent of the copyright owners. Held: To establish a conspiracy to defraud, it was not necessary to prove a deceit by the defendant of the person who would end up being … Continue reading Scott v Metropolitan Police Commissioner; Regina v Scott: HL 20 Nov 1974
The appellant had been sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in 1993. He was an existing adult mandatory life prisoner for the purposes of Part I of the Schedule to the 2001 Act. In 2002 the High Court specified the punishment part of his sentence as 14 years. The appellant appealed against this order on … Continue reading Stewart v Her Majesty’s Advocate: HCJ 6 Sep 2002
A woman police officer was attacked by a prisoner in a cell. She sought damages for the failure of a senior officer nearby not to come to her aid, and from the chief constable under his vicarious liability. Held: The chief constable’s appeal was dismissed. One police officer has a duty of care to come … Continue reading Chief Constable of Northumbria v Costello: CA 3 Dec 1998
Acts of contempt of court in proceedings before a county court which was neither in the face of the court, nor directly in breach of a judgment or order could only be punished by the QBD. Citations: [1985] 1 WLR 1143 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited – In re G (a Child) (Contempt: … Continue reading Bush v Green: 1985
The fact that a defendant has previous convictions is not normally relevant: ‘The fundamental principle, equally applicable to any question that is asked by the defence as to any question that is asked by the prosecution, is that it is not normally relevant to inquire into a prisoner’s previous character, and, particularly, to ask questions … Continue reading Regina v Miller: 1952
The reference was for an unduly lenient sentence for offences of gross indecency with a child and attempted rape. Held: Even experienced judges could be unaware of guideline cases. In this case Millberry and the Reference 91 etc of 2002 would have guided the judge to impose different sentences. Prosecuting counsel should attend court with … Continue reading Regina v Webb, Attorney General’s Reference (No 52 of 2003): CACD 9 Dec 2003
The court excluded a statement made to a constable, who questioned his prisoner in a way that amounted to cross-examination. A constable has no right to ask questions without expressly saying that the answers cannot be relevant evidence. Judges: AL Smith, J Citations: (1888) (15 Cox 656) Cited by: Not followed – Regina v Brackenbury … Continue reading Regina v Gavin: 1888
The plaintiffs alleged breach of copyright case involving music and sought to have admitted in evidence similar fact evidence showing that the defendants had published music resembling material protected by copyright in the past. The defendant apealed. Held: Lord Denning MR said: ‘The admissibility of evidence as to ‘similar facts’ has been much considered in … Continue reading Mood Music Publishing Co v De Wolfe Ltd: CA 1976
The applicant had been charged before the justices with indictable offences. He consented to summary trial but it had not been explained to him that he might be committed to the Quarter Sessions for sentence. Held: The court allowed certiorari.Lord Goddard CJ described the statutory provisions in question as ‘peremptory’ because ‘for many centuries in … Continue reading Regina v Kent Justices, Ex parte Machin: 1952
The respondent appealed against a finding that the provision which made a loan agreement completely invalid for lack of compliance with the 1974 Act was itself invalid under the Human Rights Act since it deprived the respondent lender of its property rights. It was also argued that it was not possible to make a declaration … Continue reading Wilson v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; Wilson v First County Trust Ltd (No 2): HL 10 Jul 2003
Decomposed Snail in Ginger Beer Bottle – Liability The appellant drank from a bottle of ginger beer manufactured by the defendant. She suffered injury when she found a half decomposed snail in the liquid. The glass was opaque and the snail could not be seen. The drink had been bought for her by a friend, … Continue reading Donoghue (or M’Alister) v Stevenson: HL 26 May 1932
No collateral attack on Jury findigs. An attempt was made to open up in a civil action, allegations of assaults by the police prior to the making of confessions which had been disposed of in a voir dire in the course of a criminal trial. The plaintiffs had imprisoned having spent many years after conviction … Continue reading Hunter v Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police: HL 19 Nov 1981
The employee was injured at work, but in a way excluded from the employers insurance cover. He now sought to make the sole company director liable, hoping in term to take action against the director’s insurance brokers for negligence, the director himself now also bankrupt. The pursuer now appealed. Held: The appeal failed, and the … Continue reading Campbell v Gordon: SC 6 Jul 2016
Wrong assumptions made by police officers in the killing of terrorists amounted to a human rights breach, despite the existence of danger to the public of an imminent attack. Article 2(1) is ‘one of the most fundamental provisions in the Convention’. It would have been incumbent on the state to conduct a ‘thorough, impartial and … Continue reading McCann and Others v The United Kingdom: ECHR 6 Oct 1995
In each case the local authority sought to recover possession of its own land. In the Lambeth case, they asserted this right as against an overstaying former tenant, and in the Leeds case as against gypsies. In each case the occupiers said that the recovery of possession interfered with their right respect for their family … Continue reading Kay and Another v London Borough of Lambeth and others; Leeds City Council v Price and others and others: HL 8 Mar 2006
(Hong Kong) The defendant was an Afghan subject with the British Army in Hong Kong. He was accused of murder. Having accepted the protection of the British Armed forces, he became subject to their laws. In custody, he was asked about the offence by a senior officer, and admitted the act. He appealed on the … Continue reading Ibrahim v The King: PC 6 Mar 1914
The defendant had been found guilty of manslaughter by virtue of diminished responsibility. He had been 17, and a technically incorrect sentence of life imprisonment had been passed. There had been conflicting diagnoses of his condition between dissociative and schizoid personality disorders. Held: The sentencing judge had to ask whether he was required to impose … Continue reading Fort, Regina v: CACD 13 Dec 2013
The defendant sought to have dismissed as an abuse of proces charges against her that as an officer of Customs and Excise prosecuting the now private prosecutor, she had committed various offences. Held: The magistrate was vested with jurisdiction to consider whether summonses issued by a convicted defendant amounted to an abuse of process, and … Continue reading Regina v Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court ex parte Fiona Watts: Admn 8 Feb 1999
The respondent was convicted of sexual offences against two groups of boys. The trial judge directed the jury that they would be entitled to take into account the uncorroborated evidence of the second group as supporting evidence given by the first group. Held: The House considered what was the general character of relevant evidence. Lord … Continue reading Regina v Kilbourne: HL 1973
The appellants had been convicted of assault, after having engaged in consensual acts of sado-masochism in which they inflicted varying degreees of physical self harm. They had pleaded guilty after a ruling that the prosecution had not needed to prove the absence of consent. They said it was their human right to give consent to … Continue reading Regina v Brown (Anthony); Regina v Lucas; etc: HL 11 Mar 1993
Unlawful Means Conspiracy has two forms Quinn was treasurer of a Belfast butchers’ association. Leathem, who traded as a butcher, employed some non-union men, although when the union made difficulties he asked for them to be admitted to the union, and offered to pay their dues. The union put pressure on Munce, a wholesale customer … Continue reading Quinn v Leathem: HL 5 Aug 1901
The defendant had faced trial on terrorist charges. He claimed that delay and the very substantial adverse publicity had made his fair trial impossible, and that it was not an offence for a foreign national to solicit murders to be carried out abroad. Held: The appeal failed. Murder is singled out as an offence even … Continue reading Regina v Abu Hamza: CACD 28 Nov 2006
The applicants alleged misfeasance against the Bank of England in respect of the regulation of a bank. Held: The Bank could not be sued in negligence, but the tort of misfeasance required clear evidence of misdeeds. The action was now properly pleaded, and the bank knew the case it had to answer. The issue of … Continue reading Three Rivers District Council and Others v Governor and Company of The Bank of England: HL 18 May 2000
Right of Recovery of Money Paid under Mistake Kleinwort Benson had made payments to a local authority under swap agreements which were thought to be legally enforceable when made. Subsequently, a decision of the House of Lords, (Hazell v. Hammersmith and Fulham) established that such swap agreements were unlawful. Kleinwort Benson then sought restitution of … Continue reading Kleinwort Benson Ltd v Lincoln City Council etc: HL 29 Jul 1998
Two defendants accused of murder each sought to place blame for the victim’s death on the other. One sought to rely upon the other’s record of violence as evidence of his co-accused’s propensity to violence.
Held: The record was admissible. By . .
The mother sought to prevent a father from publishing a book about her child’s life. It was to contain passages she said may cause psychological harm to the 12 year old son. Mother and son lived in the USA and the family court here had no . .
