September 30, 2025
Lumley v Gye [1853] EWHC QB J73 (1 January 1853)
A theatre owner, Lumley, had an exclusive contract with singer Johanna Wagner. Gye, a rival, maliciously persuaded her to break this contract. The court held that an action for maliciously procuring a breach of contract was maintainable, establishing the tort of inducing breach of contract. Facts The plaintiff, Benjamin Lumley, was the proprietor of the Queen’s Theatre. He entered into a contract with a renowned opera singer, Johanna Wagner, for her to perform exclusively at his theatre for a specific period. The defendant, Frederick Gye, ran a rival theatre. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant, knowing of this existing contract,
