A guide to some of the most notable British legal cases

In the ever-changing landscape of the UK legal system, certain cases shape the course of legislation and set crucial precedents for future judgments. Join us as we take a look at some of the UK’s most notable legal cases. By delving into these legal battles from recent history, we offer insight into the intricacies of the law as well as the marks they leave on society and the justice system.

Injunctions revealed by the Internet

The early 2010s were a strange time. Social media was rapidly becoming widespread, injunctions were all the rage, and the extramarital engagements of football celebrities were a popular scandal. However, the case of Ryan Giggs’ injunction against a tabloid newspaper stood out.

In April 2011, the footballer sought to stop The Sun from publishing allegations he had an extra-marital affair. However, his wish to remain anonymous was short-lived: the gag order was flouted by thousands of people on Twitter. This is one of the first significant cases where the law has had to respond to the social media era we are entering.

The affair became even more ridiculous when an MP used his parliamentary privilege to name Giggs in the House of Commons itself when he was supposed to remain anonymous. Between this and rumors on Twitter, Giggs finally consented to the removal of anonymity from his injunction in February 2012.

Snail Beer

A court decision is credited with laying the groundwork for negligence in common law around the world…all thanks to a snail. Quite a legacy! Donoghue v. Stevenson, also known as the “Paisley Snail” or “Snail in a Bottle” case, was a 1932 debate when Ms. Donoghue was drinking a ginger beer in a cafe in Paisley, Scotland. Little did she know that an unfortunate snail was decomposing inside the bottle and subsequently making her sick.

As a result, Ms Donoghue sued the beer manufacturer. The House of Lords found that the manufacturer had breached its duty of care to Ms Donoghue as a consumer, resulting in Donoghue winning the case and making a full recovery. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the snail.

Before this case arose, personal injury liability was quite restrictive. There had to be physical harm inflicted directly or indirectly, but a harmful substance, such as “snail” beer, was not defined by either intrusion. This meant that from an orthodox perspective Ms Donoghue had no lasting claim, but the court’s decision created a new type of liability.

Homicide under the influence

Another landmark case which took place in 1967, R v Lipman, helped to establish what could be used as a defense in English criminal law. This required the court to address the issue of unintentional murder, specifically committed under the influence.

In this case, a couple who regularly used recreational drugs used LSD. The man hallucinated, claiming he was being attacked by snakes, and while defending himself against these imaginary terrors, he strangled his partner. Police quickly saw evidence of his guilt, but he claimed he had no intention of murdering her.

The man was ultimately found guilty despite his intoxication, with the court finding that by creating a reckless situation with LSD he had also created a risk that “ordinary sober and responsible people would recognise”. Cause versus intent is a timeless debate that even today is addressed on a case-by-case basis in court, but this decades-old tragedy still defines whether a person’s self-intoxicated intoxication can be used as a defense against manslaughter.

Civilians splashed

In January 2014, a 22-year-old driver in Essex was summoned to court and fined £50,000 for driving through a puddle. For what? In doing so, he splashed a mother and her two children. Debbie Pugh was convinced the driver did it deliberately because he could have easily avoided the water.

Claims are one thing, but witnesses are another. To the driver’s bad luck (and Pugh’s luck!), a police officer was driving behind all this and seeing all this, PC Mark Hercules arrested the driver. Officially, the driver was reported for careless driving in violation of Article 3 of the Highway Code on the grounds of driving “without reasonable consideration”. According to Crown Prosecution Service policy, this involved “walking through a puddle causing splashing onto pedestrians”.

While some cases are isolated incidents in legal history, others become lawyer folklore and the basis of our profession. Fascinating cases like Paisley Snail and R v Lipman challenge the law to evolve and adapt to new scenarios, becoming milestones in our profession. They reveal insight into the laws we take for granted and how they may have been created in the first place.

Whatever your legal case, at Thomas and Thomas Solicitors we can help you. We offer a range of legal services, from conveyancing to probate and criminal law.