Rylands v Fletcher [1868] UKHL 1 (17 July 1868)
Rylands v Fletcher [1868] UKHL 1 is a judgment from United Kingdom on 17 July 1868. Cite it as [1868] UKHL 1. Search it by the party names, the citation [1868] UKHL 1, or United Kingdom judgment.
united-kingdom
July 17, 1868
UNITED KINGDOM
Rylands
v.
Fletcher [1868] UKHL 1
[1868] UKHL 1
Proceeding. Judgment. United Kingdom.
Held. A person who brings onto his land something likely to do mischief if it escapes is strictly liable for damage caused by its escape, even without negligence.
RYLANDS v FLETCHER [1868] UKHL 1; (1868) LR 3 HL 330 House of Lords 17 July 1868
Judges: Lord Cairns LC, Lord Cranworth
Facts
The constructed a reservoir on his land. The water escaped through old mine shafts into the plaintiff's mine and flooded it. There was no finding of negligence.
Held
The House of Lords affirmed the rule stated by Blackburn J in the Exchequer Chamber: a person who, for his own purposes, brings onto his land and collects and keeps there anything likely to do mischief if it escapes, must keep it at his peril, and is answerable for the natural consequences of its escape.
Key Principles
1. Strict liability for the escape of dangerous things brought onto land for the defendant's purposes.
2. The thing must be something not naturally on the land (non-natural use).
3. The rule is independent of negligence, though defences such as act of God, act of a stranger, and consent remain available.
Why It Matters in Sierra Leone
Rylands v Fletcher is persuasive authority in Sierra Leone for claims involving escaping water, chemicals, or other dangerous substances from industrial or mining operations. It is taught as the classic example of strict liability in .