List of landmark judgements of the House of Lords

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This page lists legal decisions of the House of Lords. Until 30 September 2009, the House of Lords was the highest appellate court for the United Kingdom. Cases were determined not by the House of Lords itself, but by its Judicial Committee, consisting of up to nine legally qualified peers, generally referred to as "Law Lords". On 1 October 2009 its functions were transferred to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

For a complete list of all legal cases heard by the House of Lords, see List of United Kingdom House of Lords cases.

CaseDate OSCOLA CitationSummary
Pinchon's case 1611Early assumpsit and contract liability precedent
Sprat v Agar 1658Early case on in third party contract law
Duke of Norfolk's Case 16823 Ch. Cas. 1, 22 E.R. 931Rule against perpetuities
Mason v Keeling 17001 Ld Raym 606; 91 ER 1305
Donaldson v Beckett 17741 E.R. 837Copyright could not be a right in perpetuity
Hambly v. Trott 1776Case in conversion and trover
Bach v Longman 1777Early case in copyright law
Worlledge v Manning 1786Case establishing modern concept of property
Steel v Houghton 1788126 ER 32Establishes the nature of property which imports absolute enjoyment'
Gee v Pritchard 1818Precedent in copyright law
Wright v Tatham 1838132 E.R. 877 Hearsay
Dimes v Grand Junction Canal 18523 HLC 759A judge with a financial interest in one of the parties to a case is debarred from deciding a case involving that party; applying the principle "Nobody should be a judge in their own cause".
Hyde v Hyde 1866
  1. established common law definition of marriage
  2. institutions in foreign countries cannot be considered as valid under English law, unless they resemble the equivalent English institution
Rylands v Fletcher 1868LR 3 H.L. 330Liability could attach in tort for escape of materials from land
Hughes v Metropolitan Railway Co. 18772 A.C. 439The first example of promissory estoppel being applied, although to delay rather than extinguish common-law rights.
Foakes v Beer 1884L.R. 9 A.C. 605Part-payment of a debt, in the absence of consideration, will not extinguish the debt.
Wakelin v London & South Western Railway Co. 188612 A.C. 41, 56 L.J.Q.B. 229 (H.L.)A defendant's negligence must be causative of, rather than incidental to, damage to the plaintiff.
Wennhak v Morgan 1888Leading deformation case
Hotson v East Berkshire Health
Derry v Peek 188914 A.C. 337, 58 L.J. Ch. 864, 61 L.T. 265 (H.L.) Fraud and negligent misstatement.
Phillips v Homfray 1892precedent in of restitution.
Browne v Dunn 18936 R. 67 (H.L.)An advocate must raise in Cross examination issues that are in dispute otherwise reliance on those issues will be prohibited.
Reddaway v Banham 1896A.C. 199 Passing off
Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd 1897A.C. 22Recognized a corporation as a separate entity.
Walter v Lane 1900A.C. 539 H.L.Fixation by journalist creates copyright by publisher.
Heilbut, Symons & Co. v Buckleton 1913A.C. 30 Innocent misrepresentation in contract gives no right to damages.
Lennard's Carrying Co Ltd v Asiatic Petroleum Co Ltd 1915A.C. 705Alter-ego theory of corporate liability, establishing that directors are the controlling minds of the company and therefore the company is liable for their misdeeds.
Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre v Selfridge and Co. Ltd. 1915A.C. 847Privity in contract law
Herd v Weardale Steel Coal & Coke Ltd. 1915A.C. 67, 84 L.J.K.B. 121 (H.L.)Unlawful imprisonment
Adam v Ward 1917All E.R. 151Definition of qualified privilege
Donoghue v Stevenson 1932A.C. 532 Lord Atkin's famous statement about duty of care in the tort of negligence.
Bell v Lever Brothers 1932A.C. 161Mutual mistake at common law
Hillas v Arcos 1932All E.R. 494The court may imply terms into a contract based on the previous business dealings of the parties.
Woolmington v DPP 1935A.C. 462 H.L.(E)It is always incumbent on the prosecution in a criminal case to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Fibrosa Spolka Akcyjna v Fairbairn Lawson Combe Barbour 19422 All E.R. 122, 1943 A.C. 32Frustration in contract law
Hay v Young 1943A.C. 92Nervous shock
Bolton v Stone 1951A.C. 850, 1 All E.R. 1078 (H.L.)Breach of duty of care.
Silkin v Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd. 19581 W.L.R. 743 Freedom of speech.
Cavanagh v Ulster Weaving Co. Ltd. 1960A.C. 1959 2 All E.R. (H.L.)Evidence of trade practice is not determinative of whether there had been negligence on the facts.
Scruttons Ltd v Midland Silicones Ltd 19612 Lloyd's Rep. 365 (H.L.) Privity of contract and the agency exception.
White & Carter (Councils) Ltd v McGregor 1961All E.R. 1178
Hughes v Lord Advocate 1963All E.R. 705 (H.L.)Manner of occurrence in tort of negligence (remoteness).
Hedley Byrne v Heller 19632 All E.R. 575Economic loss in tort. Negligent misstatement.
Ridge v Baldwin 1964A.C. 40Judicial review, natural justice and fair hearing.
Practice Statement 1966Change of practise regarding precedent, allowing the House of Lords to overrule its own previous decisions in exceptional circumstances.
Suisse Atlantique case 19662 All E.R. 61
Regal (Hastings) v Gulliver 19672 A.C. 134Fiduciary duties of company directors.
Anisminic v Foreign Compensation Commission 19692 A.C. 147Judicial review, error of law
Home Office v Dorset Yacht Co. 19702 All E.R. 294Tort, duty of care
Saunders v Anglia Building Society 1971A.C. 1004Importance of signature.
Tesco Supermarkets v Nattrass 1972A.C. 153 Directing mind of corporation.
McGhee v National Coal Board 19723 All E.R. 1008 (H.L.)Causation in tort.
Haughton v Smith 1975; 1973; 1974AC 476; 3 All ER 1109; 3 W.L.R.Attempted crimes, subsequently overturned by Criminal Attempts Act 1981
American Cyanamid Co. v Ethicon Ltd. 1975A.C. 396 H.L.(E) Injunctions
Miliangos v George Frank Ltd 1976A.C. 443UK courts were entitled to make awards of damages specified in foreign currency.
Anns v Merton London Borough Council 1978; 1977A.C. 728; 2 All E.R. (H.L.)Compensation of economic loss caused by negligence; overruled by Murphy v Brentwood District Council .
Securicor Transport Ltd. v Photo Production Ltd. 19802 W.L.R. 283 Exclusion clauses.
Ramsay v IRC 1982A.C. 300Disregarding artificial transactions designed solely to avoid tax.
Catnic Components Ltd. v Hill & Smith Ltd. 1982R.P.C. 183
Brinkibon Ltd v Stahag Stahl und Stahlwarenhandelsgesellschaft mbH 19832 A.C. 34Contract law, instantaneous communication, approving Entores v Miles Far East Co.
Amin Rasheed Shipping Corp. v Kuwait Insurance Co. 19841 App Cas 50 Choice of law in contract, renvoi.
Furniss v Dawson 1984A.C. 474
Spiliada Maritime Corp v Cansulex Ltd 1987A.C. 460 Forum non conveniens .
Hotson v East Berkshire Health Authority1988UKHL 1Claims under the 'loss of a chance' doctrine in medical negligence are actionable only where it is more likely than not (>50% likely) that the defendant's negligence caused the plaintiff to lose the chance of recovery.
Caparo Industries Plc. v Dickman 1990Pure economic loss in tort. Duty of care.
Attorney-General v Guardian Newspapers Ltd. (No. 2) 19901 AC 109Confidentiality and public interest.
R v Brown 19932 W.L.R. 556Sadomasochism and consent in criminal law.
Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd. 1999Freedom of expression and defamation.
White v White 20001 A.C. 596'Yardstick of equality' in division of matrimonial assets between spouses in ancillary relief proceedings
Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd 2002UKHL 22Exposure to asbestos; multiple tortfeasors.
Campbell v MGN Ltd. 2004
Regina v Special Adjudicator 2004UKHL 26
Kirin-Amgen v Hoechst Marion Roussel 2004UKHL 46
A and Others v Secretary of State for the Home Department 2005Imprisonment without trial for terrorism suspects
R v Jones2006UKHL 16Iraq war; international law
Barker v Corus 2006UKHL 20Exposure to asbestos; "proportionate liability" of multiple tortfeasors
A v Hoare 2008UKHL 6Tort law; limitation period of personal injuries claims; Limitation Act 1980.

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