A’s car was left stationary and unlit on the M1 hard shoulder for about 15 minutes after a night out. A lorry driven by L veered across all lanes and hit the car, killing one passenger. The Court of Appeal held the trial judge misapplied causation principles and ordered a retrial on causing death by dangerous driving.
Two appellants were charged under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000 for expressing opinions supportive of Hamas following the 7 October 2023 attacks. The Supreme Court clarified the ingredients of the offence and held that it is compatible with Article 10 ECHR, dismissing the appeals.
The Supreme Court considered how confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 should be made against multiple conspirators who jointly obtained criminal proceeds. It held each defendant is liable for the full amount, but enforcement must be limited to prevent double recovery.
Andrewes obtained senior positions at a hospice and NHS trusts through CV fraud, lying about qualifications and experience. He performed his roles satisfactorily for over 10 years. The Supreme Court established that in CV fraud cases, confiscation should be limited to the profit gained—the difference between fraudulently obtained earnings and what the defendant would otherwise have earned.
David Barton, who ran a luxury care home, and manager Rosemary Booth were convicted of defrauding elderly wealthy residents of millions through manipulation and grooming. The Court of Appeal upheld their convictions and confirmed the Ivey test for dishonesty now replaces Ghosh.
An 18-year-old Jehovah’s Witness refused a life-saving blood transfusion after being stabbed by the appellant and died. The Court of Appeal held that her refusal did not break the chain of causation; the stab wound remained an operative cause of death, so the manslaughter conviction stood.
Ceon Broughton supplied his girlfriend Louella Fletcher Michie with a Class A drug at a festival and failed to obtain medical help as she deteriorated. His manslaughter conviction was quashed because the prosecution's expert evidence could not prove causation to the criminal standard.
Five men engaged in consensual sadomasochistic homosexual activities were convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and wounding. The House of Lords held that consent is no defence to charges under sections 20 and 47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 where actual bodily harm is deliberately inflicted, regardless of consent between adults in private.
Two conjoined appeals concerning guilty pleas entered on mistaken understandings of the law. Byram’s manslaughter and poisoning convictions were quashed following the House of Lords decision in Kennedy (No 2). Burgess’s conviction for escape was quashed following Montgomery, but his sentences for distraction burglaries were upheld.
Two appeals concerning whether psychiatric injury can constitute bodily harm under the Offences against the Person Act 1861. Ireland made silent telephone calls causing psychiatric illness; Burstow stalked a woman causing severe depression. The House of Lords held psychiatric injury is bodily harm and can be inflicted without physical violence.
Caldwell, very drunk, set fire to a hotel in revenge, endangering guests. The House of Lords affirmed the Court of Appeal but held that recklessness under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 includes failing to consider an obvious risk, and that self-induced intoxication is no defence where recklessness suffices for mens rea.
Mr Nadir, charged with theft and false accounting, fled to Northern Cyprus while on bail. His surety Mr Guney challenged forfeiture of his recognisance. The House of Lords held that a defendant who is arraigned automatically surrenders to custody by operation of law, releasing the surety from his obligation.
The appellant aggressively interrogated a lodger about a missing ring, allegedly striking him and locking him in a room. The victim escaped through a window and was injured. The Court of Appeal held that 'actual bodily harm' can include psychiatric injury but not mere emotions like fear or distress, and expert evidence is required to prove psychiatric harm.
Chandler was convicted of inciting public nuisance and causing public nuisance by obstructing highways during demonstrations against the Greek Royal Visit. He appealed on grounds concerning jury challenges, arguing he had a legal right to 'stand by' jurors after exhausting peremptory challenges. The Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed the appeal, ruling no such right exists for the accused.
Church violently assaulted Mrs Nott in his van, rendering her unconscious, then threw her into a river believing, he claimed, that she was dead. She drowned. The Court of Appeal upheld his manslaughter conviction and clarified the test for unlawful act manslaughter.
The appellant engaged in stalking behaviour towards Miss Wilson, including delivering over 800 letters and making threats. The victim suffered depression and anxiety. The Court of Appeal held that words alone, including written letters, can constitute an assault if they cause the victim to apprehend immediate unlawful violence.
The appellant, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, made and possessed HMTD explosive for personal experimentation and self-education regarding how explosives work. The Supreme Court held that experimentation and self-education are capable of being lawful objects under section 4(1) of the Explosive Substances Act 1883, allowing the defence to proceed to trial.
A geotechnical company was convicted of corporate manslaughter after an employee died when an unsupported 3.5 metre trial pit collapsed on him. This was the first conviction under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007, establishing that small companies with a sole controlling director can be liable for gross breaches of duty of care.
The defendant stole money from a gas meter, causing gas to leak and partially asphyxiate a neighbour. The Court of Appeal quashed his conviction for maliciously administering a noxious substance, ruling that 'maliciously' requires foreseeability of harm, not merely general wickedness from an unrelated unlawful act.
D was accused of manslaughter and inflicting grievous bodily harm after his wife, allegedly subjected to long-term domestic abuse, committed suicide. The Court of Appeal held that psychological injury without a recognisable psychiatric illness does not constitute “bodily harm” under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, upholding the terminating ruling.
Convicted prisoners Hague and Weldon claimed damages for unlawful segregation and harsh prison conditions, alleging breach of prison rules and false imprisonment. The House of Lords held that prison rules do not create private law rights and that lawful imprisonment is not converted into false imprisonment merely by unlawful segregation or intolerable conditions, though other tort and public law remedies may exist.
Shaun Docherty, a violent repeat offender, was convicted of wounding with intent before LASPO 2012 commenced but sentenced afterwards to imprisonment for public protection (IPP). He challenged the transitional provisions preserving IPP, arguing lex mitior, ultra vires and discrimination. The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed his appeal.
Necessity cannot justify murder under English law. This case set a clear legal boundary by emphasising the absolute sanctity of human life, influencing courts worldwide and becoming a fundamental reference in discussions about morality and criminal responsibility.
Gemma Evans procured heroin for her half-sister Carly, who self-injected, showed clear overdose symptoms and later died. Evans and their mother failed to seek medical help. The Court of Appeal held Evans owed a duty of care and upheld her manslaughter conviction for gross negligence.
The appellant confessed to insurance fraud after police revealed her lover's affair with another woman in the adjacent cell. The Court of Appeal considered whether this amounted to 'oppression' under s.76(2)(a) PACE 1984. The court held oppression requires impropriety and gave the word its ordinary dictionary meaning.
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive