Acts
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The defendant had been acquitted of offences relating to the damage of aircraft by reason of his insanity. The court now considered the making of an order under the 1977 Act after that acquittal. Held: The court set out the following principles: ‘Since the purpose of an order under section 5A is to protect a … Continue reading Smith v Regina: CACD 29 Nov 2012
Judges: Lord Justice Leggatt Citations: [2019] EWCA Crim 1566 Links: Bailii Statutes: Protection from Harassment Act 1977 4A 5(5) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Criminal Sentencing Updated: 27 April 2022; Ref: scu.642585
The court struck out a claim for damages against an employer for harassment under the 1997 Act. Judges: Gray J Citations: [2003] EWHC 1230 Statutes: Protection from Harassment Act 1977 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited – Majrowski v Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust CA 16-Mar-2005 The claimant had sought damages against his … Continue reading Sharma v Wells and Medico-Legal Investigations Ltd: QBD 2003
The defendant appealed against his conviction for stalking under the 1977 Act, saying that the complainant had been put in fear on only one occasion. Held: The appeal failed: ‘a plain and natural reading of the wording of section 4A (1)(b) (i) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 reveals that the section is wide … Continue reading Qosja, Regina v: CACD 22 Sep 2016
The claimant applied to the Council for accommodation, claiming to be homeless and in priority need. The council housed him in a hotel owned by Mr Manek in Tooting Bec . He had a room, a separate bathroom and lavatory, and shared use of a kitchen. After three days the council completed their investigations. Though … Continue reading Mohamed v Manek and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: CA 28 Apr 1995
The appellant was receiving care and support from social services. He was found to have abused and threatened the team leader in telephone calls to her. He appealed against a conviction under the 1997 Act, saying that his calls did not amount to a course of conduct because on two of the three occasions, she … Continue reading James v Crown Prosecution Service: Admn 4 Nov 2009
Whilst the law clearly allowed prosecutions under the Act after no more than two incidents of harassment, nevertheless, prosecutors should look to the reality of whether the acts complained of did in fact amount to a course of conduct under the Act. In this case, but marginally, they did. Prosecutors should look to the purpose … Continue reading Pratt v Director of Public Prosecutions: QBD 21 Jun 2001
The claimants, a solicitor and his wife, sought damages in harassment and data protection, against a party to proceedings in which he was acting professionally, and against the investigative firm instructed by them. The defendants now requested the claims to be struck out. Held: The claim of harassment could not be struck out merely because … Continue reading Gerrard and Another v Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Ltd and Another: QBD 27 Nov 2020
Reasons for allowing of appeal from conviction of offence of putting someone in fear. Held: ‘The emphasis in the summing up was not on what amounts to harassment but what amounts to assault. Further direction was required as to what can be a course of conduct amounting to harassment. Description of a number of acts … Continue reading Widdows, Regina v: CACD 21 Jun 2011
The defendant appealed against his conviction under the 1977 Act. He and the complainant had been in a volatile relationship. Both were police constables. He said that though there had been incidents, they had not amounted to a course of conduct within the Act. Held: The issue is whether, on the evidence, the appellant had … Continue reading Regina v Curtis: CACD 9 Feb 2010
The defendant appealed against conviction under section 4(1) of the 1997 Act. It was not disputed that the prosecution had to prove (1) that there had been a course of conduct on the part of the appellant, (2) that the course of conduct had caused the complainant to fear on at least two occasions that … Continue reading Regina v Haque: CACD 26 Jul 2011
The defendant appealed against the making against him of an order under the 1977 Act on his acquittal for a different substantive offence. Held: The judge is required to identify the factual basis for imposing an order and that it must not be overlooked that, absent a conviction, it may not be possible to determine … Continue reading Regina v Lawrence: CACD 2012
The defendant appealed his conviction under the 1977 Act. Held: The judge directing a jury must require a finding that the different acts complained of had a sufficient connection with each other to form a ‘course of conduct’ within the Act. For a number of incidents to constitute a course of conduct, they must be … Continue reading Regina v Patel (Nitin): CACD 11 Nov 2004
The claimants said that they had been tortured by Saudi police when arrested on false charges. They sought damages, and appealed against an order denying jurisdiction over the defendants. They said that the allegation of torture allowed an exception to state immunity. Held: The Kingdom’s appeal succeeded. The protection of state immunity was essentially a … Continue reading Jones v Ministry of Interior for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and others: HL 14 Jun 2006
Two alleged incidents might be sufficient to be seen as a course of conduct and found an allegation of harassment under the Act, but any distance in time between them might suggest that they could not be seen as one course of conduct. Here a separation of four months was too much, although harassment associated … Continue reading Lau v Director of Public Prosecutions: QBD 29 Mar 2000
Liability in Damages on Statute Breach to be Clear Damages were to be awarded against a Local Authority for breach of statutory duty in a care case only if the statute was clear that damages were capable of being awarded. in the ordinary case a breach of statutory duty does not, by itself, give rise … Continue reading X (Minors) v Bedfordshire County Council; M (A Minor) and Another v Newham London Borough Council; Etc: HL 29 Jun 1995
The defendant appealed against his convictions under the 1977 Act. Held: Under section 1(2) the deprivation of occupation for one day was insufficient. To constitute an offence, the deprivation had to take the character of an eviction. However, the appeal against the offence under section 1(3) failed. It was sufficient to establish that the acts, … Continue reading Regina v Yuthiwattana: CACD 1984
The appellant had been charged with an offence of putting a person in fear of violence through harassment, contrary to section 4 of the 1997 Act. She was acquitted of count 1, but the jury could not agree on its verdict on the alternative offence of harassment contrary to section 2 of the Act and … Continue reading Major, Regina v: CACD 1 Dec 2010
The defendants issued various applications to strike out the claim, including a claim of abuse of process. The action was being financially maintained by a third party. The defendants contended that the maintainer’s purpose was to oppress and ultimately bankrupt the defendants, and for that reason the action should be struck out as an abuse … Continue reading Broxton v McClelland: CA 31 Jan 1995
Parents wished to publicise the way care proceedings had been handled, naming the doctors, social workers and experts some of whom had been criticised. Their names had been shown as initials so far, and interim contra mundum orders had been made restricting further identification. The professionals feared that their readiness to act as experts would … Continue reading Doctor A and Others v Ward and Another: FD 8 Jan 2010
The defendant had requested the Isle of Man authorities to investigate the part if any taken by the plaintiff in a major fraud. No charges were brought against the plaintiff, but the documents showing suspicion came to be disclosed in the later trial of others. The plaintiff sought damages in defamation. Held: The documents which … Continue reading Taylor and Others v Director of The Serious Fraud Office and Others: HL 29 Oct 1998
The defendant had been acquitted of having a bladed article in a public pace, and now appealed against the making of a restraining order against him under the 1977 Act. Held: The appeal succeeded: ‘the requirements of the making of a restraining order under section 5A were not made out in this case. The test … Continue reading Jose, Regina v: CACD 23 May 2013
The claimant and appellant had been employer and employee who had fallen out, with a settlement in 2005. The appellant then began an unpleasant and obsessive personal vendetta against Mr Hayes, complaining to public bodies with allegations of tax evasion, fraud and similar. Several investigations all concluded against the appellant, and indeed disproved in 2007. … Continue reading Hayes v Willoughby: SC 20 Mar 2013
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
The claimant appealed against the striking out of his claim of harassment against the Authority who had contacted him in an intended review of pensions mis-selling. They had contacted him once by letter, once by telephone and once by e-mail. Held: The judge had failed properly to make an assessment of the case, but even … Continue reading Calland v Financial Conduct Authority: CA 13 Mar 2015
The defendant had requested the Isle of Man authorities to investigate the part if any taken by the plaintiff in a major fraud. No charges were brought against the plaintiff, but the documents showing suspicion came to be disclosed in the later . .