Mrs Lake’s answer to an allegation of adultery had been one of denial or, in the alternative, condonation. Her husband’s petition was dismissed, the Commissioner finding that there had been adultery but that it had been condoned. She sought to appeal against the finding of adultery
Held: Her appeal was refused. A party cannot appeal against a judgment when he has no complaint about the order in fact made. A party’s statutory right to appeal is governed by section 27 which allows for an appeal from ‘the whole or any part of any judgment or order’, which means the ‘formal judgment or order.’ It is the order that the court makes that disposes of the proceedings and provides the basis for an appeal, not the issuing of the reasons for it in the form of the court’s judgmentit is the order that the court makes that disposes of the proceedings and provides the basis for an appeal, not the issuing of the reasons for it in the form of the court’s judgment.
Hodson LJ said: ‘This is an attempt by a successful party to appeal against an order which she has obtained in her favour. In my judgment, this court cannot entertain such an appeal.’
Judges:
Sir Raymond Evershed MR, Hodson LJ
Citations:
[1955] P 336
Statutes:
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Cited by:
Cited – Jones and others v Ceredigion County Council CA 28-Jul-2005
The parties had challenged the respondent’s decision not to provide free transport to school. The judge granted certificates allowing leave to apply direct to the House of Lords on two issues, and to the Court of Appeal on one other. The House later . .
Cited – Office of Communications and Another v Floe Telecom Ltd CA 10-Feb-2009
The court was asked to accept an appeal against not the order made by the tribunal, but the terms of the reasoned judgment.
Held: The appeal was allowed. The Tribunal had made findings which were unnecessary to its judgment, and which were . .
Cited – Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v Morina and Another CA 23-Jul-2007
The Secretary of State had won his case on the substance but wished to challenge parts of the judgement which dealt with jurisdictional points.
Held: The court could hear an appeal by a successful party where there were good reasons for . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Litigation Practice, Family
Updated: 31 July 2022; Ref: scu.230066