R v Dudley and Stephens (1884) presented a harrowing dilemma of survival at sea, where desperate men resorted to cannibalism. Their murder trial questioned the boundaries of necessity, testing the limits of human morality and legal judgment.
Legal Precedent on Necessity: The case established a crucial legal precedent, underscoring that necessity does not justify homicide in English law, even under extreme circumstances of survival, delineating the limits of this defence in cases involving deliberate killing.
