The collection
Cases
Landmark and modern judgments, distilled to facts, issues, judgement and significance — 67 summaries across 7 pages.
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Murphy v Brentwood District Council [1991] UKHL 2
The House of Lords restricts recovery for defective buildings, classifying the cost of a dangerous defect as irrecoverable pure economic loss.
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Paul & Anor v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust [2024] UKSC 1
The Supreme Court reshapes the law for secondary victims, requiring an “accident” and largely closing off medical-negligence claims while removing older hurdles.
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Hunter v Moss [1994] 1 WLR 452
A trust over an unsegregated portion of identical intangible property (shares) can be valid without the specific units being separated.
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McPhail v Doulton [1971] AC 424
The House of Lords replaces the “complete list” test with the “is or is not” test for certainty of objects in discretionary trusts.
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OT Computers Ltd v First National Tricity Finance Ltd [2003] EWHC 1010
The “complete list” test for fixed trusts — a “customers” trust was valid, but an “urgent suppliers” trust failed for conceptual uncertainty.
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Re Kayford Ltd [1975] 1 WLR 279
Certainty of intention can be inferred from conduct — segregating customer pre-payments into a separate account created a valid trust on insolvency.
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Re London Wine Co (Shippers) Ltd [1986] PCC 121
A trust over part of a larger bulk of tangible goods fails unless the trust property is segregated from the rest of the stock.
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Boulton v Jones and Another [1857] 157 ER 232
Where the identity of a party is material, a mistake as to identity can prevent a contract from forming.
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Butler Machine Tool Co. Ltd v Ex-Cell-O Corporation (England) Ltd [1979] 1 WLR 401
The leading “battle of the forms” authority — usually the party who fires the “last shot” wins.
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Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co. [1893] 1 QB 256
The leading authority on unilateral offers — a sufficiently specific advertisement can be an offer, and performance of its conditions is acceptance.