The Supreme Court held that section 92(1)(b) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 criminalises the unauthorised sale of 'grey market' goods, not merely 'true counterfeits'. Goods originally manufactured with the trade mark proprietor's consent but sold without authorisation fall within the criminal offence.
The Supreme Court considered whether free or discounted property, goods, services or facilities provided for a candidate's benefit only count as election expenses if authorised by the candidate or agent. The Court held authorisation is not required under section 90C of the Representation of the People Act 1983.
Three Mackle brothers and Henry McLaughlin pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of tobacco duty and consented to confiscation orders calculated on the evaded duty. The Supreme Court held the consent was based on a mistake of law, quashed the orders, and remitted the cases.
The defendant was found with cannabis left in his car by a friend, intending to return it when collected. The House of Lords held that returning drugs to a depositor constitutes 'supply' under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, as it enables the depositor to use the drugs for their own purposes.
Two defendants threw a non-swimmer off a bridge into a river, where he drowned, after robbing him. They were convicted of murder. The Court of Appeal considered whether the Woollin direction on intention constituted a rule of substantive law, dismissing the appeals.
The appellant pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and related offences but challenged the reduced sentencing discount applied because he failed to admit guilt at police interview and was caught red-handed. The Supreme Court upheld the sentencing approach, confirming that Northern Ireland's sentencing guidelines requiring early admissions and reducing discounts for overwhelming evidence cases were lawful.
Animal rights protesters blocked a private road leading to a Müller dairy works, preventing vehicles from entering or leaving. The Supreme Court held that obstructing passage on a private road cannot constitute public nuisance under section 78(1)(b)(ii) of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, as the public has no right to use private ways.
A married couple convicted of benefit fraud spanning pre- and post-2003 offences challenged confiscation orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The Supreme Court held by majority that POCA 2002 applied to post-commencement offences where the Crown disclaimed reliance on earlier offences.
McGeough was convicted of attempted murder of a UDR soldier and IRA membership. His IRA membership conviction relied on admissions made in a failed 1983 Swedish asylum application. The Supreme Court upheld admission of that evidence, finding no confidentiality bar.
Miller, sleeping on a mattress in a house, accidentally started a fire by a cigarette. On waking and seeing the mattress alight, he simply moved rooms and went back to sleep. The House of Lords held that, having created the danger, his failure to act could constitute arson.
Two senior house officers were convicted of gross negligence manslaughter after their patient died from untreated toxic shock syndrome following knee surgery. The Court of Appeal upheld the convictions, confirming that gross negligence manslaughter is sufficiently certain and compatible with the ECHR.
Angeline Mitchell was convicted of murdering her partner Anthony Robin by stabbing. The Supreme Court considered whether non-conviction bad character evidence relied on to establish propensity must be proved beyond reasonable doubt incident by incident, holding that propensity itself must be proved, not each underlying fact.
A drunken ex-soldier killed his stepfather during a foolish shotgun 'challenge'. The House of Lords quashed his murder conviction, substituting manslaughter, and clarified that foresight of probable consequences is evidence from which intent may be inferred, not itself intention.
Appellant Nedrick, after threatening to "burn out" a woman, set fire to her house; a child died and he was convicted of murder. The Court of Appeal substituted manslaughter, holding the jury had been misdirected on intent and articulating the virtual-certainty test.
An administrator of a company in insolvency was charged under TULRCA for failing to notify the Secretary of State of redundancies. The Supreme Court held that an administrator is not an 'officer' of the company within section 194(3), applying a constitutional rather than functional test to the meaning of 'officer'.
Mr O'Brien breached a POCA restraint order and fled to the USA. After extradition to the UK for fraud charges, he was committed for contempt. The Supreme Court held that such contempt is civil, not criminal, and specialty protections did not apply.
Pagett used his pregnant girlfriend as a human shield while firing at armed police. Officers lawfully returned fire and killed her. The Court of Appeal held he had legally caused her death and upheld his manslaughter conviction, clarifying causation where third parties act in self-defence or legal duty.
Quick, a diabetic nurse, assaulted a patient whilst allegedly suffering from hypoglycaemia caused by taking insulin without eating properly. The Court of Appeal held that hypoglycaemia caused by external factors (insulin) did not constitute a 'disease of the mind' under the M'Naghten Rules, allowing a defence of automatism rather than insanity.
A husband was convicted of attempted rape upon his wife after forcing entry into her parents' home where she had been living following their separation. The House of Lords abolished the common law marital exemption from rape, holding that marriage no longer implies irrevocable consent to sexual intercourse.
Rafferty, aged 17, participated in an early stage assault and robbery of Ben Bellamy but left before co-defendants stripped, dragged and drowned the victim. The Court of Appeal held the drowning was a new intervening act, so Rafferty’s manslaughter conviction as a secondary party was quashed.
The House of Lords held that public nuisance requires common injury to the public, not merely multiple harms to individuals. It disapproved earlier telephone‑call cases, emphasised legal certainty under article 7 ECHR, and allowed both appeals, quashing Mr Goldstein’s conviction and Mr Rimmington’s indictment.
Roberts drove a young woman in his car and, after unwanted sexual advances, she jumped from the moving vehicle, suffering injuries. Convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, he appealed. The Court of Appeal held the trial judge’s causation direction correct and dismissed the appeal.
An optometrist failed to properly examine a 7-year-old boy's eyes, missing signs of a fatal brain condition. She was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter, but the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction, holding that foreseeability of death must be assessed on knowledge available at the time of breach, not what would have been known but for the breach.
Mr Saik, a bureau de change operator, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money on the basis that he only suspected, rather than knew, the money was criminal proceeds. The House of Lords quashed his conviction, holding suspicion insufficient for statutory conspiracy under section 1(2) of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
The appellant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to utter counterfeit banknotes after the trial judge ruled he had no discretion to exclude prosecution evidence on grounds the offence was induced by an agent provocateur. The House of Lords confirmed entrapment is no defence in English law and defined the limited circumstances in which judges may exclude admissible evidence.
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive
October 4, 2026
National Case Law Archive