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When a man is asked if he is an esquire, and he answers that he is an esquire, the general understanding is that he is a person of no profession or occupation.

— Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet Perrins v. Marine and General Travellers' Ins. Co (1859)

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More quotes by Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet

A Judge cannot set himself above the law which he has to administer, or make or mould it to suit the exigencies of a particular occasion.

Martin v. Mackonochie (1878)

Personal injury is a more serious matter than damage to property.

Reg. v. Heppinstale (1859)

I think the old, sound, and honest maxim that "you shall not do evil that good may come," is applicable in law as well as in morals.

Reg. v. Hicklin and another (1868)

The impulsive desire to save human life when in peril is one of the most beneficial instincts of humanity, and is nowhere more salutary in its results than in bringing help to those who, exposed to destruction from the fury of winds and waves, would perish if left without assistance.

Scaramanga v. Stamp (1880)

Writers on international law . . . cannot make the law … it must have received the assent of the nations who are to be bound by it. This assent may be express … or may be implied from established usage.

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.