This is a chronological list of notable cases decided by the Senior Courts of England and Wales – that is, cases from the High Court of Justice of England and Wales, Court of Appeal of England and Wales, and Crown Court.
Pre-1800
Haxey's case (1397) Rot. Parl. (iii) 434
Case of the Thorns (1466) YB 6 Ed 4, 7a pl 18. Early precedent for negligence and trespass to land. R v Earl of Northumberland (1568) Crown right to minerals precedent. Case of the Swans (1592) Crown right to wildlife precedent Mouse's case(1602) precedent establishing the defense of Necessity on Tort Booty v Barnaby (1687)
1800–1899
Vaughn v. Menlove (1837). 132 E.R. 490 (C.P.) Foss v Harbottle (1843) 2 Hare 461, 67 ER 189
Parker v. South Eastern Railway Company (1877), L.R. 2 C.P.D. 416
Cundy v Lindsay (1878) 3 App Cas 459
Household Fire & Carriage Account Insurance Co. Ltd. v. Grant (1879), 4 Exch. Div. 216 R v. Dudley and Stephens (1884) 14 King's Bench Division 273 The Moorcock (1889), 14 Probate Division 64 Kenrick v. Lawrence [1890] QBD Henthorn v. Fraser [1892] 2 Ch. 27
Hollingrake v. Truswell [1894] 3 Ch. 420
Wilkinson v Downton [1897] 2 Q.B. 57: Intentional infliction of nervous shock
Simcoe v. Pethick, 2 Q.B. 55(1898). widely cited as an important precedent for public land rights in England.
1900–1999
Automatic Self-Cleansing Filter Syndicate Co Ltd v Cuninghame, [1906] 2 Ch. 34 (C.A.): duty of corporate directors University of London Press, Ltd. v. University Tutorial Press, Ltd. [1916] 2 Ch. 601 Balfour v. Balfour [1919] 2 K.B. 571
Foley v. Classique Coaches Ltd. [1934] 2 K.B. 1
Young v Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd [1944] KB 718
Central London Property Trust Ltd v High Trees House Ltd [1947] K.B. 130. Olley v Marlborough Court Hotel [1949] 1 K.B. 532. Shanklin Pier Ltd v Detel Products Ltd, [1951] 2 KB 854