| Hearne V. Stowell | |
| Court: | Nisi Prius Court, Liverpool |
| Date Decided: | 1841 |
| Related Actions: | lawsuit |
| Keywords: | Libel |
Hearne v. Stowell was an 1841 court case held in the Nisi Prius Court, Liverpool Assizes pertaining to a case of libel in Manchester, England. The case is a prominent case of an inter-clergy lawsuit and is cited both as an example of anti-Catholic sentiment in the United Kingdom in the mid 19th century [1] and as a sample of libel precedent.[2] Hugh Stowell, an Anglican preacher, alleged that Daniel Hearne, a Catholic priest, had forced a man to crawl down a street for penance. Hearne sued for libel and while the court case was resolved in his favour, it was later reversed by the Queen's Bench.