Skip to main content

Did you know?

Did you know?

  • In the 1920s, it was said that people living on a quarter of the planet could bring their appeals to the JCPC (including Canada, Australia, New Zealand India and parts of Africa).
  • Today, a total of 27 Commonwealth countries, UK overseas territories and crown dependencies use the JCPC as their final court of appeal.
  • In addition, the court can hear appeals of decisions taken by the Court of Admiralty of the Cinque Ports - a court which covers disputes arising from seafaring between the south coast of England and a point just off the French coast, and last sat in 1914.
  • Famous cases heard by the JCPC in the past include Edwards vs Canada, when five women challenged the wording of a piece of law about election to the Canadian Senate; "Does the word 'Persons' in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?". The Canadian Supreme Court ruled it did not, but was over-ruled by the JCPC.
  • In 1939, the writers of a famous music-hall song, The Man Who Broke The Bank At Monte Carlo sued 20th Century Fox (who had bought out a film of exactly the same name) for breach of copyright. The JCPC turned down their appeal saying: "The two things are completely different...the thing said to be passed off must resemble the thing for which it is passed off. A frying-pan cannot be passed off as a kettle."