R. A. Cline criticises the House of Lords lor refusing
`to give general guidance by sticking R. A. Cline criticises the House of Lords lor refusing `to give general guidance by sticking
huffily to the particular facts k)f the case.' Surely this arises inevitably out of the (entirely self- imposed) rule that the House of Lords is bound by its own previous decisions. Given this probably absurd limitation, it is surely understandable that their Lordships should have sought to fetter their own and their successors' actions as little as possible. Indeed, if in cases like Duncan v. Cammell Laird to which Mr. Cline refers, the House of Lords had been able to give 'general guidance,' the law might present to liberals a much more unwelcome face than it does noW.
Perhaps the most important single piece of law reform which could be instituted by Lord Gardiner would be to allow the House of Lords to review its own past decisions.
P. A. MAYO Bourne Cottage, Bourne End, Hetnel Hempstead. Herts.
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