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Landmark Equity & Trusts cases

Foundational UK equity authorities — express, resulting, and constructive trusts; fiduciary duties — ordered by citation impact.

50 landmarks, ordered by citation impact.

  1. 01

    Milroy v Lord

    (1862) 4 De GF & J 264 · Court of Appeal · 1862

    Imperfect gifts cannot be rescued by implying declaration of trust

  2. 02

    Strong v Bird

    (1874) LR 18 Eq 315 · Court of Chancery · 1874

    Imperfect gifts can be perfected when donee becomes donor's executor

  3. 03

    Tinsley v Milligan

    [1994] 1 AC 340 · House of Lords · 1994

    Illegal trust participants can recover property without relying on illegality

  4. 04

    Hunter v Moss

    [1994] 1 WLR 452 · 1993

    A trust of intangible property need not identify specific assets from a larger identical mass.

  5. 05

    Pennington v Waine

    [2002] EWCA Civ 227 · Court of Appeal · 2002
  6. 06

    Keech v Sandford

    (1726) Sel Cas Ch 61 · Court of Chancery · 1726
  7. 07

    Morice v Bishop of Durham

    (1805) 10 Ves 522 · Court of Chancery · 1805
  8. 08

    Knight v Knight

    (1840) 3 Beav 148 · Court of Chancery · 1840
  9. 09

    Saunders v Vautier

    (1841) 4 Beav 115 · Court of Chancery · 1841
  10. 10

    Certainty of Subject Matter — Palmer v Simmonds

    (1854) 2 Drew 221 · Chancery Division · 1854
  11. 11

    McCormick v Grogan

    (1869) LR 4 HL 82 · House of Lords · 1869
  12. 12

    Barnes v Addy

    (1874) LR 9 Ch App 244 · Court of Chancery · 1874
  13. 13

    Re Hallett's Estate

    (1880) 13 Ch D 696 · Court of Appeal · 1880
  14. 14

    Commissioners for Special Purposes of Income Tax v Pemsel

    [1891] AC 531 · House of Lords · 1891
  15. 15

    Re Stead

    [1900] 1 Ch 237 · Chancery Division · 1900
  16. 16

    Re Gardner (No 2)

    [1923] 2 Ch 230 · Chancery Division · 1923
  17. 17

    Blackwell v Blackwell

    [1929] AC 318 · House of Lords · 1929
  18. 18

    Re Diplock

    [1948] Ch 465 · Court of Appeal · 1948
  19. 19

    Re Coulthurst

    [1951] Ch 661 · Court of Appeal · 1951
  20. 20

    Re Young

    [1951] Ch 344 · Chancery Division · 1951
  21. 21

    Oppenheim v Tobacco Securities Trust

    [1951] AC 297 · House of Lords · 1951
  22. 22

    Re Scarisbrick

    [1951] Ch 622 · Court of Appeal · 1951
  23. 23

    Re Rose

    [1952] Ch 499 · Court of Appeal · 1952
  24. 24

    Re Astor's Settlement Trusts

    [1952] Ch 534 · Chancery Division · 1952
  25. 25

    IRC v Broadway Cottages Trust

    [1955] Ch 20 · Court of Appeal · 1955
  26. 26

    Grey v IRC

    [1960] AC 1 · House of Lords · 1960
  27. 27

    Oughtred v IRC

    [1960] AC 206 · House of Lords · 1960
  28. 28

    Re Endacott

    [1960] Ch 232 · Court of Appeal · 1960
  29. 29

    Neville Estates v Madden

    [1962] Ch 832 · Chancery Division · 1962

    Threefold classification of gifts to unincorporated associations; synagogue land held on valid charitable trust.

  30. 30

    Re Londonderry's Settlement

    [1965] Ch 918 · Court of Appeal · 1965
  31. 31

    Vandervell v IRC

    [1967] 2 AC 291 · House of Lords · 1967
  32. 32

    Boardman v Phipps

    [1967] 2 AC 46 · House of Lords · 1967
  33. 33

    Re Denley's Trust Deed

    [1969] 1 Ch 373 · Chancery Division · 1969
  34. 34

    Re Gulbenkian

    [1970] AC 508 · House of Lords · 1970
  35. 35

    McPhail v Doulton

    [1971] AC 424 · House of Lords · 1971
  36. 36

    Secret Trusts — Ottaway v Norman

    [1972] Ch 698 · Chancery Division · 1972
  37. 37

    Dingle v Turner

    [1972] AC 601 · House of Lords · 1972
  38. 38

    Re Recher's Will Trusts

    [1972] Ch 526 · Chancery Division · 1972
  39. 39

    Re Baden's Deed Trusts (No 2)

    [1973] Ch 9 · Court of Appeal · 1973
  40. 40

    Re Vandervell's Trusts (No 2)

    [1974] Ch 269 · Court of Appeal · 1974
  41. 41

    Re Kayford Ltd

    [1975] 1 WLR 279 · Chancery Division · 1975
  42. 42

    Injunctions — American Cyanamid Co v Ethicon Ltd

    [1975] AC 396 · House of Lords · 1975
  43. 43

    Paul v Constance

    [1977] 1 WLR 527 · Court of Appeal · 1977
  44. 44

    Re Tucks Settlement Trusts

    [1978] Ch 49 · 1977
  45. 45

    Re Snowden

    [1979] Ch 528 · Chancery Division · 1979
  46. 46

    Constructive Trusts — Chase Manhattan Bank NA v Israel-British Bank (London) Ltd

    [1981] Ch 105 · Chancery Division · 1981
  47. 47

    Cowan v Scargill

    [1985] Ch 270 · Chancery Division · 1985
  48. 48

    Unjust Enrichment — Lipkin Gorman v Karpnale Ltd

    [1991] 2 AC 548 · House of Lords · 1991
  49. 49

    Attorney General for Hong Kong v Reid

    [1994] 1 AC 324 · 1993
  50. 50

    Re Goldcorp Exchange

    [1995] 1 AC 74 · 1994