The defender Captain A. J. Macarthur appealed to the House of Lords from an interlocutor of July 20, 1915, which, on the whole proof, recalled the Sheriffs’ interlocutors, gave new findings in fact, and a finding in law that the defender was liable to the pursuer in the value of certain articles, with decree for … Continue reading Gairdner v Macarthur: HL 1 Mar 1916
(Court of Exchequer) The incoming tenant plaintiff had agreed to buy the outgoing tenant’s interest in a farm at a price determined by two valuers. He paid pounds 2,000 on account; the valuation took place; the plaintiff gave to the outgoing tenant a post-dated promissory note for pounds 3,319, being the amount of the valuation … Continue reading Freeman v Jeffries: CExC 1868
Lord Dundas: ‘This is a summary petition under section 91 of the Court of Session Act, 1868, for an order for specific performance of an alleged statutory duty. The remedy thus sought is peculiar and drastic. It has not, I believe, been frequently resorted to; I am aware of only one reported instance. Those who … Continue reading Carlton Hotel Co v Lord Advocate: 1921
Fair Coment on Political Activities The defendant newspaper had published articles wrongly accusing the claimant, the former Prime Minister of Ireland of duplicity. The paper now appealed, saying that it should have had available to it a defence of qualified privilege because of the claimant’s status as a politician. Held: The appeal failed (Lords Hope … Continue reading Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd and others: HL 28 Oct 1999
The company sought damages to its business on a motorway service station when works closed an access road. Held: The Secretary of State’s appeal succeeded. A claim for compensation under section 10 had not been established, at least in respect of the permanent stopping-up orders. Judges: Lord Justice Carnwath Citations: [2007] EWCA Civ 764, [2007] … Continue reading Moto Hospitality Ltd v Secretary of State for Transport: CA 26 Jul 2007
The court was asked as to the extent of an exclusive prescriptive right (ie an exclusive right obtained through a long period of use) to take cockles and mussels from a stretch of the foreshore on the east side of the Wash, on the west coast of Norfolk. Over time the various water marks had … Continue reading Lynn Shellfish Ltd and Others v Loose and Another: SC 13 Apr 2016
Natural causes were responsible for soil collapsing onto neighbouring houses in Bridgwater. Held: An occupier of land owes a general duty of care to a neighbouring occupier in relation to a hazard occurring on his land, whether such hazard is natural or man-made (the ‘hazard’ being an unstable mound of earth which was present on … Continue reading Leakey v The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty: CA 31 Jul 1979
A prisoner sought an order for his removal from a prison found to have a regime which breached his human rights. The Crown replied that an order could not be made under s21 of the 1947 Act. Held: The prisoner had followed through his rights to petition the governor. Had he done so and failed, … Continue reading Reclaiming Motion In Petition of Scott Davidson for Judicial Review of A Decision To Continue To Detain the Prisoner In Inhuman and Degrading Prison C: SCS 18 Dec 2001
The defendants had wrongfully appointed receivers of the claimant, who then came into the business and terminated contracts undertaken by the business. The claimant asserted that their actions amounted to a wrongful interference in their contracts and otherwise. The receivers having done the acts normally associated with a receivership. Held: The tort of unlawful interference … Continue reading OBG Ltd OBG (Plant and Transport Hire) Ltd v Raymond International Ltd; OBG Ltd v Allen: CA 9 Feb 2005
The claimant, in a representative action complained that the works involved in the erection of the Canary Wharf tower constituted a nuisance in that the works created substantial clouds of dust and the building blocked her TV signals, so as to limit her enjoyment of her land. Held: The interference with TV reception by an … Continue reading Hunter and Others v Canary Wharf Ltd: HL 25 Apr 1997
