Dimes v Proprietors of the Grand Junction Canal

Facts

The Lord Chancellor affirmed decrees in favour of a canal company in which he held shares.

Issue

Were the decrees valid?

Held

No. The House of Lords set them aside.

Principle

A judge with a direct financial interest in a case is automatically disqualified, whether or not he was actually influenced.

Why it matters

The classic case of automatic disqualification.

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