Interesting and Unique Cases Every Law Student Must Know

The greatest part about studying law is that you encounter various cases that capture human stories, establish new expectations, and shape public debate. There are certain cases that are remembered for the sheer strangeness, be it for the verdict or the defence that were used. You might have heard about some weird ones where jealous neighbor complained about loud music or breaching of the contract between two companies to get ahead of each other. But here, we are talking about more bizarre cases that you might study in your degree course. The ones that legislation was not prepared for and raised issues that never came up previously.

Our civil law assignment help providers have jotted down three cases that top their list of oddest cases ever. Take a look:

R v Dudley and Stephens

This case is the clear example of adequacy being the adequate defence against murder. In 1884, Edwin Stephens, Tom Dudley, Richard Parker and Edmund Brooks were shipwrecked and adrift in a boat. They were 700 miles away from the nearest land without freshwater. On 5th July, there were left with only two tins of turnips to eat. By 17th July, they ate all the turnips and turtles that they managed to caught. By 24th July, Parker slipped into coma. After realizing that they had no other way to survive, Stephens and Dudley killed Parker and were resorted to cannibalism along with Brooks. They were rescued on 29th July and the case was brought to trial. However, during the trial, public opinion was surprisingly sympathetic to the accused to the extent that the defence was paid for by it. On the other hand, the judiciary wanted to clarify and establish that necessity cannot be used as a defence for murder. The final outcome of the case was a sort of compromise where Stephens and Dudley were convicted of murder and sentenced to six months in jail.

Re A (conjoined twins)

The case we are going to address next is unpleasant, so just get yourself prepared for it. In 2001, England, two adjoined twins, Gracie and Rosie were born where latter was dependnt oen the former to oxygenate blood. The case was so critical that if they were separated surgically, Gracie had more chances of survival than Rosie and if left conjoined, then both the girls were unlikely to live till their first birthday. Initially, it was ruled that separating the twins would not be considered as murder but passive euthanasia. However, this was rejected by the Court of Appeal and used defence of necessity which stated that the surgeon must not have mens rea, i.e., criminal intent implying culpability for murder. It would be considered as the operation to save Gracie instead of killing Rosie.

Miller v Jackson

This case may not seem as interesting as others in the list but it is definitely one of the most significant ones in the history of law. The Millers moved to a new house located next to a cricket pitch. They complained about the continuous nuisance of the players and the balls that keep on landing in their garden. They went to court to stop the cricket being played there but were turned down. It stated that during the summertime, cricket is delight to watch and almost every village has a cricket field where old men witness young players. The judge, Lord Denning, wondered if the cattle who grazed there also had the same objection to the cricket before the houses were built. The final line of the case provides really enjoyable conclusion which is “Not long after the case, the Millers moved house.”

We are sure that after reading these cases, you will be left eager to learn and study more such wonderful and weird law history. You can also contact us for more law related assignments like criminal law, business law,corporate law etc..  So, stay tuned to whet your appetite.

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