Landmark Public Law cases

State officials need legal authority to enter and search; executive necessity is no defence.

Local authorities must act reasonably, owing fiduciary duty to ratepayers.

Procedural fairness at common law can require the Parole Board to hold oral hearings.

The GLC's cheap fares policy and supplementary rate were unlawful.

The Crown cannot rely on the prerogative where statute has covered the same ground.

Parliament cannot bind its successors; later inconsistent legislation impliedly repeals earlier law.

Discretion is reviewable only if no reasonable authority could have made the decision.

A chief constable dismissed without a hearing could have the dismissal declared void.

A minister's statutory discretion must be used to promote the policy of the Act

Ouster clause fails to protect a determination that is a nullity for legal error

A public authority may adopt a policy but must listen to arguments for an exception.

Courts cannot inquire into whether Parliament was misled in passing an Act.

Standing is judged in the legal and factual context, and a pressure group lacked it

Prerogative powers are reviewable in principle, but national security defeated the claim.

English courts lacked power to suspend an Act pending a reference to the European Court.

The House of Lords adopted the real danger test for apparent bias.

Withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment from a patient in a persistent vegetative state is lawful as an omission, not murder.

Hansard may be consulted to interpret ambiguous legislation if ministerial statements are clear.

Ministers can be restrained by injunction and held in contempt in their official capacity.

Fairness required the Home Secretary to disclose and explain his life sentence tariff decisions.

The prerogative cannot be used to frustrate the purpose of a statutory scheme.

The test for apparent bias is a real possibility, judged by a fair-minded observer.