October 2, 2025
R v Rimmington; R v Goldstein [2005] UKHL 63
Two men were convicted of public nuisance for separate acts targeting individuals (racist mailings; a hoax anthrax letter). The House of Lords quashed the convictions, ruling that public nuisance requires a common injury to a community, not just an aggregation of separate wrongs. Facts The House of Lords heard two conjoined appeals concerning the scope of the common law offence of public nuisance. The facts of the individual cases were distinct. R v Rimmington Between 1992 and 2001, Mr Anthony Rimmington sent a vast quantity of racially offensive and abusive material by post to numerous, unconnected individuals across the country.
