Sir Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet

Judges are philologists of the highest order.

Sir Jonathan Frederick Pollock, 1st Baronet, PC (23 September 1783 – 28 August 1870) was a British lawyer and Tory politician.

Quotes

• The Crown cannot ever be prejudiced by the misconduct or negligence of any of its officers.
  • Reg. v. Renton (1848), 2 Exch. Rep. 220.

• You need not cite cases that are familiar.
  • Reg. v. Baldry (1852), 5 Cox, C. C. 525.

• In a perfectly new case—a case altogether primae impressionis—I think the Judges are bound to hold fast to the principles of the common law—to remember the maxim, "Salus reipublicae suprema lex," and if the condition be really in principle against the public good, to pronounce it in their judgment void.
  • Brownlow v. Egerton (1854), 23 L. J. Rep. Part 5 (N.S.) Ch. 382.

• You have no right, for the purpose of justifying a libel, to inquire into a man's life and opinions.
  • Derby v. Ouseley (1856), 4 W. R. 464.

• I remember Lord Eldon saying to counsel, " You have told us how far the cases have gone, will you now tell us where they are to stop?" I think it is now time that we should say where the cases are to stop.
  • Phillips v. Briard (1856), 4 W. R. 487.

• Judges are philologists of the highest order.
  • Ex parte Davis (1857), 5 W. R. 523.

• In criminal cases you always begin by proving the corpus delicti, and then connect the prisoner with it.
  • Queen v. Bernard (1858), 8 St. Tr. (N. S.) 922.

• The rule is this: that wherever there is a decision of a Court of concurrent jurisdiction, the other Courts will adopt that as the basis of their decision, provided it can be appealed from. If it cannot be appealed from, then they will exercise their own judgment.
  • Leech v. North Staffordshire Railway Co. (1860), 29 L. J. M. C. 155.

• International law, like the moral law, is part of the law of England, but only to the extent that the Courts will not help those that break it.
  • Attorney-General v. Sillem and others, "The Alexandra " (1864), 12 W. R. 258.

• Arguments from the American statute are not of much force, because Englishmen are not bound to know it.
  • Attorney General v. Sillem and others (1864). The Alexandra, 12 W. R. 261.

• Circumstantial evidence only raises a probability.
  • Reg. v. Rowton (1865), 13 W. R. 437.