Landmark judgments in England

Essays on access to justice, constitutional power, fairness, medical decisions, and responsibility.

These articles examine UK Supreme Court judgments arising from proceedings in England and Wales. Some were heard alongside appeals or references from other jurisdictions, identified in the articles. The selection explores influential modern decisions rather than ranking the whole history of English law.

• The Price of a Right
  R (UNISON) v Lord Chancellor · [2017] UKSC 51
  Access to justice
• Who May Change the Law?
  R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union · [2017] UKSC 5
  Parliament and executive power
• The Silenced Parliament
  R (Miller) v The Prime Minister; Cherry v Advocate General for Scotland · [2019] UKSC 41
  Constitutional accountability
• Who Gets the Last Word?
  R (Evans) v Attorney General · [2015] UKSC 21
  Information and the rule of law
• Who Reviews the Reviewer?
  R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal · [2019] UKSC 22
  Judicial review and legal error
• The Value of Being Heard
  Osborn v Parole Board · [2013] UKSC 61
  Procedural fairness
• The Person Within Best Interests
  Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust v James · [2013] UKSC 67
  Medical law and capacity
• Knowing Is Not Intending
  R v Jogee · [2016] UKSC 8
  Criminal responsibility
• When a Rule Defeats Its Purpose
  Patel v Mirza · [2016] UKSC 42
  Illegality and civil justice
• When Home Becomes a Spectacle
  Fearn v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery · [2023] UKSC 4
  Property, nuisance and privacy

These are historical readings of the named judgments, with separate personal commentary. They do not survey every later decision or legislative change and are not advice for an individual case.

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