Entick -v- Carrington – KBD – 01-Jan-65 – Lord Camden CJ, Pratt LJ – Torts – Other – Constitutional
The King’s Messengers entered the plaintiff’s house and seized his papers under a warrant issued by the Secretary of State, a government minister.
Held: Lord Camden CJ said: “Our law holds the property of every man so sacred, that no man can set his foot upon his neighbour’s close without his leave; if he does, he is a trespasser, though he does no damage at all; if he will tread upon his neighbour’s ground, he must justify it by law . . we can safely say there is no law in this country to justify the defendants in what they have done; if there was, it would destroy all the comforts of society; for papers are often the dearest property a man can have.” and “with respect to the argument of State necessity, or a distinction that has been aimed at between state offences and others, the common law does not understand that kind of reasoning, nor do our books take notice of any such distinctions.”
“If it is law, it will be found in our books. If it is not to be found there, it is not law.”
Pratt LJ said: “The great end for which men entered into society was to secure their properties. That right is preserved sacred and incommunicable in all instances where it has not been abridged by some public law for the good of the whole.”
Cited by:
Attorney General -v- Danhai Williams and others (Jamaica) PC ([1997] UKPC 22); Mohamet Bici Skender Bici -v- Ministry of Defence QBD ([2004] EWHC 786(QB), ); Davidson -v- Scottish Ministers HL ([2005] UKHL 74, 2006 SC (HL) 41); Christie -v- Leachinsky HL ([1947] AC 573, [1947] UKHL 2, [1947]1 All ER 567, [1947] 63 TLR 231, (1947) 111 JP 224); SK, Regina (on the Application of) -v- Secretary of State for the Home Department Admn ([2008] EWHC 98 (Admin)); Gillies -v- Procurator Fiscal, Elgin HCJ ([2008] ScotHC HCJAC_55, 2008 GWD 31-476, 2008 SCCR 887, 2008 SCL 1316, 2008 SLT 978, 2009 JC 25, [2008] HCJAC 55); Bancoult, Regina (on the Application of) -v- Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No 2) HL ([2008] UKHL 61, , (2008) 158 NLJ 1530, [2008] 3 WLR 955, [2008] 4 All ER 1055); Guardian News and Media Ltd and Others, Re HM Treasury v Ahmed and Others SC ([2010] UKSC 1, , , UKSC 2009/0016, [2010] 2 WLR 325); Anton Piller -v- Manufacturing Process Ltd CA ([1976] Ch 55, [1976] 1 All ER 779, [1975] EWCA Civ 12); Regina -v- Inland Revenue Commissioners ex parte Rossminster Ltd HL ([1980] AC 952, [1979] UKHL 5, [1980] 1 All ER 80); Davidson -v- Scottish Ministers HL ([2004] UKHL 34, , 2004 SLT 895); Landlords Association for Northern Ireland, Re an Application for Judicial Review QBNI ([2005] NIQB 22); Sovereign Dimensional Survey Ltd -v- Cooper SCS ([2009] ScotCS CSIH_12, [2009] CSIH 12, 2009 GWD 8-133, 2009 SCLR 448, 2009 SLT 327); HM Treasury -v- Ahmed and Others; Same -v- al-Ghabra; Regina (Youssef) v HM Treasury SC ([2010] UKSC 2, , UKSC 2009/0016, [2010] UKHRR 204, [2010] 2 WLR 378); Chic Fashions (West Wales) Ltd -v- Jones CA ([1968] QB 299, [1967] EWCA Civ 4, (1968) 132 JP 175, [1968] 1 All ER 229, [1968] 2 WLR 201); Regina -v- Commissioner of Police for The Metropolis, ex parte Rottman HL ([2002] UKHL 20, [2002] 2 AC 692, [2002] ACD 69, [2002] 2 WLR 1315, [2002] 2 All ER 865, [2002] HRLR 32, 12 BHRC 329); Clarke -v- Chief Constable of North Wales Police CA ([1997] EWCA Civ 2432); Regina -v- Secretary of State for Health ex parte `C’ CA ([2000] EWCA Civ 49); Stockdale -v- Hansard ((1839) 9 Ad & El 1, [1839] EWHC QB J21, 112 ER 1112, (1839) 9 Ad & Ell 96); Regina -v- Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Northern Electric Plc ex parte Peter Neville Wolf Admn ([1997] EWHC Admin 782); Regina -v- Secretary of State for Home Department ex parte Bancoult Admn ([1999] EWHC Admin 192); Regina -v- Central Criminal Court Ex Parte Bright; Regina -v- Same, Ex Parte Rusbridger QBD ([2001] 1 WLR 662, [2000] UKHRR 796, [2002] Crim LR 64, [2001] EMLR 4, [2001] 2 All ER 244); Regina -v- Worcester County Council Secretary of State for Department of Health ex parte S W Admn ([2000] EWHC Admin 392, [2000] HRLR 702); Regina -v- Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Another, ex parte Bancoult Admn ([2000] EWHC Admin 413, [2001] QB 1067); Regina (Hoverspeed Limited and others) -v- Commissioners of Customs and Excise CA ([2002] EWCA Civ 1804, [2003] 2 All ER 553, [2003] QB 1041, [2003] STC 1273); O Ltd -v- Z ChD ([2005] EWHC 238 (Ch)); Secretary of State for the Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs -v- Bancoult, Regina (on the Application of) CA ([2007] EWCA Civ 498, [2007] 3 WLR 768); Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council -v- Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Admn ([2007] EWHC 2279 (Admin)); Bhatti and Others -v- Croydon Magistrates Court and Others Admn ([2009] EWHC 3004 (Admin)); Bhatti and Others -v- Croydon Magistrates’ Court and Others Admn ([2010] EWHC 522 (Admin));
References: (1765) 2 Wils 275 (1765) 19 St Tr 1030 [1765] EWHC KB J98 [1799] EngR 236 (1799) 2 Wils KB 275 (1799) 95 ER 807 02-Nov-65 Bailii: -> Link 01-Jan-99 Commonlii: -> Link
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