Henry V. Samuel

739 Words2 Pages

Introduction Henry has suffered serious injuries as a result of Samuel’s conduct, and he may therefore have an action in battery or false imprisonment against Samuel. The issues will be considered to evaluate Henry’s actions against Samuel, determine any defence Samuel has to Henry’s claims, and to assess the award of any damages. False Imprisonment False imprisonment is the direct, intentional, or negligent confinement of a person within an area (determined by the perpetrator) without lawful excuse or justification. In the case of Henry v Samuel, there are two instances arising from the facts which could constitute the action in false imprisonment. The issue here is whether Henry will have a successful claim against Samuel for false imprisonment. …show more content…

In the first instance, the central issue is whether Samuel intentionally imprisoned Henry in his ute. The characterization of fault is critical, and the facts show that Samuel was unaware of Henry’s presence in his vehicle, and false imprisonment is not constituted “unless the defendant directly and intentionally causes the plaintiff’s bodily restraint”. This is demonstrated in Weaver v Ward, where it is stated that there is “no liability in trespass where the trespassory act was committed without fault by the defendant”. Henry will argue that Samuel should have checked his ute before driving it, suggesting negligence on behalf of Samuel. However, Samuel’s defence might contend that he could not be reasonably expected to inspect his ute before driving it as he had no reason to suspect anyone was there. Therefore the plaintiff’s claims are not justified as Samuel was not “active in promoting and causing [Henry’s] confinement”, since Samuel was unaware of Henry’s presence and did not directly intend to restrain Henry’s liberty in this first instance. Therefore, it is likely Samuel can disprove fault …show more content…

In the first instance, the issue arises as to whether Henry gave implied, voluntary consent to justify the restraint on his liberty. As a defence, this could be effective if Samuel argues that Henry entered his vehicle by his own volition, without duress or coercion. While this is distinguished from Balmain New Ferry Co v Robertson, both see the plaintiff consenting to a restrain on liberty. However, Henry may argue that he was inebriated at the time and therefore could not give proper consent, nor could he fully be aware (and therefore bound) by the terms on which he entered the vehicle. In the second instance, it is evident Henry has not given consent, not does Samuel have any lawful justification for the restraint of Henry. Therefore, despite the defence Samuel may mount, it is likely that there is no legal justification or consent for the total restraint of Henry by

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