Case Analysis: Earl of Oxford's Case, Chancery Court and Legal System

This case analysis examines the Earl of Oxford's Case, a foundational case in English law that established the supremacy of equity over common law in instances of conflict. The case involved a dispute over land and highlighted the limitations of common law, leading the Lord Chancellor to assert the importance of equitable principles. The analysis discusses the historical context, the arguments presented, and the King's decree that favored equity. The case is explored to emphasize the role of the Chancery Court in mitigating the rigidity of common law, ensuring fairness, and addressing unconscionable behavior. The analysis also covers the development of equitable principles, the evolution of the court, its contribution to modern legal concepts, and the impact on property law and business interests. The provided bibliography includes journals and books that support the analysis.

Running head: CASE ANALYSIS
CASE ANALYSIS
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1CASE ANALYSIS
In the case of Earl of Oxford is recognized as the landmark case in the world of common
law that upholds the principle of equity and thereby takes precedence to the common law. It is
held by Lord Chancellor that the grounds for chancery for the action of men are diverse as well
as infinite. It is difficult to make general legislation that may partly fulfill a particular act and not
fail to succeed in particular circumstances1. The judgment of the particular case emphasizes on
the statutory position of chancery that is equity is strengthened to tackle the laches in the
principle of the common law. The principle that is asserted regularly in the appellate court that is
the equitable principle to follow the legislation. The maxim of the equitable principle taken into
account to impose restrictions on the case eligibility as well as applicants. It is decreed by the
king on the instruction of Attorney general that in case of disagreement in between equity and
common law, the equitable principle will prevail. It is held by the jury in the Earl case that Smith
obtains the possession illegally, and the long-term sale of Elizabeth in the superficial defiance of
the act was blameless, and the view of the jury was as proper as the title.
Equity is indicated as the structure of legislation that stabilizes the necessity for
consistency and certainty in the making of rule with the necessity to attain a reasonable impact in
the individual circumstances2. The expression that implements to designate the method in which
the equitable principle function is that equity that reduces the inflexibilities of the common law.
So that the law is not implemented in the stricter sense that might create injustice in the cases of
the individuals. The equity is the portion of English private legislation that seeks to eradicate the
1 Bryan, Michael, Vicki Vann, and Susan Barkehall Thomas. Equity and trusts in Australia.
Cambridge University Press, 2017.
2 Watt, Gary. Trusts and equity. (Oxford University Press, 2018).

2CASE ANALYSIS
advantage accruing to the defendant resulting in unconscionable behavior or compensate for the
damage that is suffered by the claimant. Furthermore, to guarantee that statutory rules and
common law are not unconscionably manipulated. The equity view to saturate the court with the
discretionary power to unexecuted common law or statutory regulations whenever it needs a
good conscience.
Thus in the discussion of facts of Earl of Oxford case in the case despite the cat of the
plaintiff in averting the witness of the defendant from appearing in the court. The plaintiff, in this
attempt, succeeds in achieving judgment in his favor at the common law3. It is petitioned by the
defendant that to interfere on the grounds that provide inappropriate conduct of the plaintiff.
Therefore the judgment must not be enforceable. The issue involved in the case is that the
equitable principle responds to the inflexibility of the common statute. It is noted by Chancellor
that the complexity of rules of common law that is implemented to all circumstances and also
award the order of injunction. The decision that is pronounced in the particular case criticized the
authority of courts of common law in addition to that Chief Justice react by announcing that the
defendant in the acse4 act in an illegal manner by petitioning to the Chancellor. The matter was
ultimately settled when decree had been issued by the king, stating that the party has a strong
argument in the principle of equity. They would not leave suffer at the common law4. The
equitable principle that was formulated by the Earl’s decision, yet the conflict concerning the
arbitrary character of the equitable principle sustained. The equitable principle occupies distinct
3 Virgo, Graham. The Principles of Equity & Trusts. (Oxford University Press, 2018).
4 Clements, Richard, and Ademola Abass. Complete Equity and Trusts: Text, Cases, and
Materials. (Oxford University Press, 2018).

3CASE ANALYSIS
jurisdiction in the areas of the common law. Therefore efficiently, there were two courts one is
for equity and another for common law. If the litigation was instituted in one court and it is
discovered that it was brought to the other court, then the whole proceedings require tom start
fresh5. Therefore it is succumbed by the Chancery court in the 19th century to provide two
contributions to the growth of the substantive legislation prior to the application of Judicature
structure. Firstly on the ground of inherent jurisdiction for the redresses of abuse and fraud of
relationship of confidence and dependency. It had been laid by chancery the substance of
confidence breach, undue influence as well as fiduciary duties. Secondly, in reply to the growth
of urbanization and the economy of Britain, Chancery adopts significant measures towards
protecting the interest of the business as well as regulation of the land transaction. Sometimes the
description and parameters of the principles remained partial in addition to that did not discourse
possible implementations6. Nevertheless the creation of significant principles expose the
jurisdiction which was in decline. The chancery court developed and expanded the principle of
equity to recourse urbanization and economic development. The discussion emphasizes the far-
reaching impact of the contribution made by the Chancery Court to the modern principles of
passing off along with the enforceability of the restrictive agreement in the property law.
Chancery in former encompassed the broader conception of fraud to safeguard the members of
public from any sort of mistaking trademark of one individual for other7. Later in the contrast of
5 Luszcz, Mary A., et al. "Cohort Profile: The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing
(ALSA)." (2016): International journal of epidemiology 45.4 1054-1063.
6 Turner, Peter G., ed. Equity and Administration. (Cambridge University Press, 2016).

4CASE ANALYSIS
the principles of common law, it is efficiently recognized by chancery that the obligation of the
covenants run with property in case the assignee had intimation.
Therefore the Earl case occupies an exclusive position in the growth and development of
English legal structure and ids indicated as the cornerstone of the equitable principle in the
contemporary legal structure. It can be held that the case shares the ipso facto connection along
with chancery court with the reliance of each party unconsciously on other subsistent for their
expansion. It is thereby significant that the personal intervening of The Earl of Oxford Case, the
equitable principle has overridden the rules of the common law8. It is argued by Edmund Coke
that common statute should take precedence over equitable principles. The common law has a
regulation that is implemented in the rigor jurist in extra mechanical in comparison to the
equitable principle that are the principles regulating the quality and standard of conduct in the
context-specific and subtle method than that of abstract legal regulation. Therefore the very
purpose of the principle of equity is to enabling fairness to overshadow rigid regulations in the
appropriate situation. Therefore the particular case upholds the principle of equity that is
considered as proper for the contemporary develop economy.
7 Probert, Belinda. The era of universal participation in higher education: Australian policy
problems in relation to cost, equity and quality. 2016 Higher Education Research and
Development Society of Australasia,.
8 Hudson, Alastair. Understanding equity & trusts. (Routledge, 2016).

5CASE ANALYSIS
Bibliography
Journals and books
Bryan, Michael, Vicki Vann, and Susan Barkehall Thomas. Equity and trusts in Australia.
Cambridge University Press, 2017.
Watt, Gary. Trusts and equity. (Oxford University Press, 2018).
Virgo, Graham. The Principles of Equity & Trusts. (Oxford University Press, 2018).
Clements, Richard, and Ademola Abass. Complete Equity and Trusts: Text, Cases, and
Materials. (Oxford University Press, 2018).
Turner, Peter G., ed. Equity and Administration. (Cambridge University Press, 2016).
Probert, Belinda. The era of universal participation in higher education: Australian policy
problems in relation to cost, equity and quality. 2016 Higher Education Research and
Development Society of Australasia,.
Hudson, Alastair. Understanding equity & trusts. (Routledge, 2016).
Luszcz, Mary A., et al. "Cohort Profile: The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing
(ALSA)." (2016): International journal of epidemiology 45.4 1054-1063.