The Attorney-General now moved for a new trial.
Bayley, J. I have no doubt that in this case there was a want of probable cause. I accede to the proposition, that if a party lays all the facts of his case fairly before counsel, and acts bona fide upon the opinion given by that counsel (however erroneous that opinion may be), he is not liable to an action of this description.[[387]] A party, however, may take the opinions of six different persons, of which three are one way and three another. It is therefore a question for the jury, whether he acted bona fide on the opinion, believing that he had a cause of action. The jury in this case have found, and there was abundant evidence to justify them in drawing the conclusion, that the defendant did not act bona fide, and that he did not believe that he had any cause of action whatever. Assuming that the defendant’s belief that he had a cause of action would amount to a probable cause, still, after the jury have found that he did not believe that he had any cause of action whatever, the judge would have been bound to say, that he had not reasonable or probable cause of action.
Rule refused.[[388]]
MITCHELL v. JENKINS
In the King’s Bench, November 11, 1833.
Reported in 5 Barnewall & Adolphus, 588.
This was an action on the case for a malicious arrest.
At the trial, before Taunton, J., at the last Summer Assizes for the county of Devon, it appeared, that the plaintiff was indebted to the defendant in the sum of £45, for one year’s composition of tithe; and that the sum of £16 5s. was due to the plaintiff from the defendant; that the defendant, under the advice of his attorney, arrested the plaintiff for the whole sum of £45, instead of for the balance, after deducting the sum of £16 5s. The defendant, on finding out that he was mistaken in point of law, and that he should only have arrested for the balance, discontinued the action.
There was no evidence at all of malice in fact; but the learned judge told the jury, that, as the plaintiff ought not, by law, to have been arrested for more than the balance, the law implied malice; and that the only question for their consideration was, the amount of damages; upon which a verdict was found for the plaintiff for £20.
A rule had been obtained, in a former term, calling on the plaintiff to show cause why that verdict should not be set aside, and a new trial had;[[389]] against which—
Follett now showed cause.
Coleridge, Serjt., and Bere, contra.