The document discusses several cases related to the illegality defense in tort law. In Revill v Newbery, a burglar was awarded damages for injuries sustained from a homeowner's shotgun, despite the burglary. In Vellino v Chief Constable, a criminal's negligence suit against police for injuries from jumping out a window during arrest was barred due to the illegality defense. Gray v Thames Trains established a test for causation in applying the defense: if the damage was caused by the defendant's wrongdoing rather than the claimant's crime, it does not apply. This was demonstrated in McLaughlin v Morrison, where a gang assault victim's suit against his attacker proceeded despite his own earlier illegal acts.
The document discusses several cases related to the illegality defense in tort law. In Revill v Newbery, a burglar was awarded damages for injuries sustained from a homeowner's shotgun, despite the burglary. In Vellino v Chief Constable, a criminal's negligence suit against police for injuries from jumping out a window during arrest was barred due to the illegality defense. Gray v Thames Trains established a test for causation in applying the defense: if the damage was caused by the defendant's wrongdoing rather than the claimant's crime, it does not apply. This was demonstrated in McLaughlin v Morrison, where a gang assault victim's suit against his attacker proceeded despite his own earlier illegal acts.
The document discusses several cases related to the illegality defense in tort law. In Revill v Newbery, a burglar was awarded damages for injuries sustained from a homeowner's shotgun, despite the burglary. In Vellino v Chief Constable, a criminal's negligence suit against police for injuries from jumping out a window during arrest was barred due to the illegality defense. Gray v Thames Trains established a test for causation in applying the defense: if the damage was caused by the defendant's wrongdoing rather than the claimant's crime, it does not apply. This was demonstrated in McLaughlin v Morrison, where a gang assault victim's suit against his attacker proceeded despite his own earlier illegal acts.
o Newbery’s allotment repeatedly vandalised; Newbery fired shotgun during attempted
burglary; burglar was injured o Old common law authorities and Law Commission report Liability for Damage or Injury to Trespassers (Cmnd 6428) acknowledged the existence of some duty towards trespassers; illegality defence couldn’t apply to N to relieve him of liability o Burglar was awarded damages, although reduced by 2/3 for contributory negligence Vellino v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester o Police arrived at criminal’s flat to arrest him; he leapt from window in attempt to get away; he sued police on basis that they had failed to prevent him from harming himself in course of attempted arrest o SIR MURRAY STUART-SMITH (1) Operation of principle arises where claimant's claim is founded upon his own criminal or immoral act; facts which give rise to claim must be inextricably linked with criminal activity; it isn’t sufficient if criminal activity merely gives occasion for tortious conduct of defendant (2) Principle is one of public policy, not for benefit of defendant; thus, defendant's conduct is irrelevant; there is no question of proportionality between conduct of claimant and defendant (3) Criminal conduct must be sufficiently serious to merit application of principle; crime punishable with imprisonment generally qualifies; if offence is criminal but relatively trivial, it is difficult to see how it could be integral to claim o V's criminal conduct had been sufficiently serious to merit application of principle of ex turpi causa so illegality defence applied and excluded imposition of duty of care on police to ensure arrested person was not injured in foreseeable attempt to escape custody Gray v Thames Trains o Lord Hoffman said establishing whether or not illegality defence would apply was matter of causation and distinguished two types of cases Where damage wouldn’t have happened but for criminal act of claimant [as in Vellino v Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police], illegality defence would apply to relieve defender of liability Where although damage wouldn’t have happened without criminal act of claimant, it was caused by wrongdoing of defender [as in Revill and McLaughlin], illegality defence wouldn’t apply to relieve defender of liability McLaughlin v Morrison o Pursuer standing at side of road was deliberately run over by defender who was gang member and believed pursuer was part of gang that had attacked pub belonging to her associates; so this was reprisal of earlier (illegal) attack o Lord Jones applied Gray v Thames test in Scottish context: “the first defender took it upon herself to assault Mr Rennie with a car…the cause of Mr Rennie's injuries was the assault on him, not any criminal activity on his part…it cannot be said that, although the damage would not have happened but for the alleged illegal conduct of the first defender, it was caused by the criminal act of Mr Rennie. (Vellino) The position is, rather, that although the damage would not have happened without the alleged criminal act of Mr Rennie, it was caused by the illegal act of the first defender. (Revill)” o Therefore, illegality defence didn’t apply