R v Ghosh established the test for dishonesty in criminal law, requiring both objective and subjective elements. The case created a two-stage test that was fundamental to determining dishonesty in fraud and theft cases until the Supreme Court replaced its subjective second limb with a wholly objective test in Ivey v Genting Casinos [2017] UKSC 67.

This Supreme Court case established a new test for dishonesty in criminal law, overruling the subjective element of the Ghosh test. The case arose from a professional gambler's civil claim against a casino after being accused of cheating at baccarat through edge-sorting.

House of Lords case dealing with impossibility in criminal attempts, which was later overruled by Shivpuri. The defendant was acquitted of attempted handling of stolen goods where the goods were not actually stolen.

Court of Appeal case establishing that robbery is a continuing act, meaning the use or threat of force need not occur at the exact moment of appropriation but can occur while the theft is ongoing.

House of Lords rules theft can occur even with owner's consent

Two defendants entered a house with permission but exceeded that permission with intent to steal, establishing the boundaries of trespassory burglary.

Theft can occur even when the victim consents to the taking.

House of Lords defines theft as any assumption of owner's rights

A key case establishing the limitations of transferred malice where the type of harm differs from that intended. The defendant threw a stone intending to hit people but broke a window instead.

This case established the fundamental test for the insanity defence in English criminal law. The defendant shot the Prime Minister's secretary believing he was being persecuted by the government.

Two shipwrecked sailors killed and ate their teenage cabin boy to survive at sea, then were charged with murder upon rescue. The court rejected the defence of necessity, establishing that necessity cannot justify taking an innocent life.

Theft conviction upheld despite valid civil law gift transfer

A Victorian case where a man deceived a woman into having sexual intercourse by pretending it was a medical procedure. The court held that deception as to the nature of the act vitiates consent.

Court defines when temporary taking becomes theft under criminal law

R v Pittwood established that a person can be criminally liable for omissions where they have undertaken a duty of care. A railway gatekeeper who failed to close level crossing gates, resulting in a fatal collision, was convicted of manslaughter despite not having actively caused the death.

R v Latimer established the doctrine of transferred malice in criminal law, where a defendant's intention to harm one person can be transferred to make them liable for actually harming another person. This case is fundamental to understanding how criminal intent operates when the actual victim differs from the intended victim.

Confidential information cannot be stolen as it does not constitute property under theft law.

R v White established that causation in criminal law requires the defendant's act to be a factual cause of the prohibited result. White attempted to poison his mother but she died of a heart attack before the poison could take effect, breaking the chain of causation and resulting in conviction only for attempt.

You can steal your own property from someone with superior possession rights.

R v Gibbins and Proctor established that a person can be criminally liable for murder by omission where they have a duty to act but fail to do so. The case involved a father and his partner who failed to feed the father's child, resulting in the child's death from starvation.

Body parts can be stolen property when altered by human skill and effort.

The House of Lords established the fundamental principles governing intoxication as a defence in criminal law, distinguishing between crimes of specific and basic intent and setting rules for when intoxication can negate mens rea.

Section 423 Insolvency Act 1986 applies to debtor-procured asset transfers by owned companies

A foundational case establishing the test for gross negligence manslaughter, requiring negligence so gross that it amounts to a crime and merits criminal punishment rather than mere civil liability.

Woolmington v DPP established the fundamental principle that the prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt in criminal cases. The case overturned the previous rule that required defendants to prove their innocence when claiming self-defence in murder cases.

Steane, a British actor, made propaganda broadcasts for Germany during WWII to protect his family from a concentration camp. The Court of Appeal held that for the offence of doing acts likely to assist the enemy with intent to assist the enemy, the prosecution must prove the accused intended to assist the enemy, not merely that he intended to do the acts.

Fiduciaries must account for unauthorized profits despite acting honestly

Bribe proceeds held on constructive trust from moment of receipt by fiduciary

R v Roberts established the 'thin skull rule' in criminal law, holding that a defendant is liable for all consequences of their unlawful act, even if the victim's reaction was unforeseeable. The case demonstrates that defendants must take their victims as they find them, including their particular sensitivities or unusual reactions.

Third parties liable for breach of trust through dishonest assistance or knowing receipt

House of Lords case establishing key principles of joint enterprise liability. The case clarified when secondary parties can be liable for crimes committed by principals that go beyond the originally contemplated joint venture.

Undue influence requires transaction shown to be manifestly disadvantageous to complainant

House of Lords case establishing that foresight of consequences is evidence of intention but not equivalent to intention itself in murder cases.

Property owners cannot claim contributory negligence against injured burglars

This case established that a duty of care in criminal law can arise from voluntary assumption of responsibility for a vulnerable person. Stone and Dobinson were convicted of manslaughter after Stone's sister died from malnutrition while living in their care, despite their failure to seek adequate medical help.

Criminal damage can apply to your own property when others have legal interests.

Trespass for burglary can occur within buildings you're otherwise permitted to enter.

Approaching premises with intent insufficient for attempted robbery without entry

No trust arises over unascertained goods without appropriation or sufficient certainty of subject matter

Mistaken payments create immediate constructive trusts giving equitable proprietary interests.

Knowing receipt requires knowledge making retention unconscionable - unified unconscionability test established.