O Ltd v Z: ChD 23 Feb 2005

The court was asked whether a search under a court order of a former employee’s computer for materials alleged to have been taken, which discovered material possession of which itself was a crime, infringed the defendant’s rights against self incrimination.
Held: The material was to be handed over, but the judge suggested this might not be the case had the defendant first suggested he might rely on the privilege against self-incrimination.

Judges:

Lindsay J

Citations:

[2005] EWHC 238 (Ch)

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Civil Procedure Act 1997 7

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Citing:

CitedEntick v Carrington KBD 1765
The Property of Every Man is Sacred
The King’s Messengers entered the plaintiff’s house and seized his papers under a warrant issued by the Secretary of State, a government minister.
Held: The common law does not recognise interests of state as a justification for allowing what . .

Cited by:

CitedC Plc and W v P and Secretary of State for the Home Office and the Attorney General ChD 26-May-2006
The claimant sought damages from the first defendant for breach of copyright. An ex parte search order had been executed, with the defendant asserting his privilege against self-incrimination. As computer disks were examined, potentially unlawful . .
CitedC Plc v P and Attorney General Intervening CA 22-May-2007
The respondent had been subject to a civil search, which revealed the existence of obscene images of children on his computer. He appealed against refusal of an order that the evidence should not be passed to the police as evidence. He said that the . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Litigation Practice

Updated: 18 July 2022; Ref: scu.224494