Please note: Usually reported as Meade's and Belt's Case (1823).
Facts
A crowd gathered around the claimant's house singing menacing songs and using threatening language.
Issue
Do words alone amount to an ?
Held
It was said that no words, however provoking, amount to an assault.
Principle
Threatening words alone were traditionally not an assault without some act.
Why it matters
Old authority; modern law accepts that words can amount to an assault in some circumstances.
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Meade's and Belt's Case (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/meade-and-belts-case> 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.