Regina v The Secretary of State for the Environment, ex Parte Ostler: CA 16 Mar 1976

Statutory Challenge must be timely

The applicant had not taken objection to a proposed road scheme believing wrongly that it would not affect his business. Other objectors had withdrawn because of secret re-assurances given to them by the respondent.
Held: The court was asked, in effect, whether the decision in East Elloe had been overruled by the Anisminic case. Though it had been subject to some criticism in Anisminic, that case was not directly in point, and the East Elloe decision remained binding.
The system provided for the possibility of an appeal where the aggrieved person felt that there had been some breach of natural justice, but that appeal had to be brought within the time limit provided. Such a decision stood until and unless quashed.

Lord Denning MR, Goff, Shaw LJJ
[1976] EWCA Civ 6, [1977] 1 QB 122
Bailii
Highways Act 1959
England and Wales
Citing:
CitedSmith (Kathleen Rose) v East Elloe Rural District Council HL 26-Mar-1956
The plaintiff challenged a compulsory purchase order as unlawful and made in bad faith and sought damages for trespass. Paragraph 16 provided that an order could not be challenged by legal proceedings, save in the circumstances identified in . .
CitedAnisminic Ltd v Foreign Compensation Commission HL 17-Dec-1968
There are no degrees of nullity
The plaintiffs had owned mining property in Egypt. Their interests were damaged and or sequestrated and they sought compensation from the Respondent Commission. The plaintiffs brought an action for the declaration rejecting their claims was a . .
CitedRidge v Baldwin (No 1) HL 14-Mar-1963
No Condemnation Without Opportunity For Defence
Ridge, a Chief Constable, had been wrongfully dismissed because he was not given the opportunity of presenting his defence. He had been acquitted of the charges brought against him, but the judge at trial had made adverse comments about his . .
CitedDonoghue (or M’Alister) v Stevenson HL 26-May-1932
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 . .
CitedAshbridge Investments Ltd v Minister of Housing and Local Government CA 1965
The Minister had decided to confirm a CPO of premises which were now alleged not to be a house as was required by the legislation under which the order was made.
Held: The court can interfere if the decision maker has taken into account a . .

Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Administrative, Planning, Natural Justice

Leading Case

Updated: 11 November 2021; Ref: scu.262708