Facts
A dispute over physical contact gave Holt CJ the occasion to state when touching amounts to .
Issue
How much contact is needed for a battery?
Held
Holt CJ said that the least touching of another in anger is a battery, while touching gently in a narrow passage without violence or design of harm is not.
Principle
The slightest contact can be a battery if done with hostility; ordinary social contact is not.
Why it matters
The classic statement that battery needs no injury, only unlawful contact.
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Cole v Turner (1704) 6 Mod 149 (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/cole-v-turner> accessed 31 October 2026
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This summary is a Lanbuk study aid based on the generally known facts and reports of the case. It is not legal advice.