Elliot v Grey [1960] 1 QB 367

The defendant's car was parked on the road. It was jacked up and had its battery removed. He was charged with an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1930 of using an uninsured vehicle on the road. The defendant argued he was not 'using' the car on the road as clearly it was not driveable.

Held:

The court applied the mischief rule and held that the car was being used on the road as it represented a hazard and therefore insurance would be required in the event of an incident. The statute was aimed at ensuring people were compensated when injured due to the hazards created by others.

Back to lecture outline on the mischief rule of statutory interpretation