Ryland v. Fletcher

British law case

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

The British legal case Rylands v. Fletcher (1868) established a principle of strict liability. This means that if someone brings something onto their land that is likely to cause harm if it escapes, they are responsible for any direct damage it causes, regardless of whether they were negligent. This applies to "non-natural" uses of land. This judge-made rule exists alongside modern strict liability statutes in various countries.1

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Strict liability statutes
…by the English decision of Ryland v. Fletcher (1868), which held that anyone who in the course of “non-natural” use of his land accumulates thereon for his own purposes anything likely to do mischief if it escapes is answerable for all direct damage thereby caused. The German statutes, however, deserve…
Read More
…by the English decision of Ryland v. Fletcher (1868), which held that anyone who in the course of “non-natural” use of his land accumulates thereon for his own purposes anything likely to do mischief if it escapes is answerable for all direct damage thereby caused. The German statutes, however, deserve…
Read More