Theft principle in private law: the Australian experience

• Author: John Tarrant
• Position: Professor, Law School, University of Western Australia
• Pages: 90-101

THEFT

PRINCIPLE

IN

PRIVATE

LAW:

THE

AUSTRALIAN

EXPERIENCE

JOHN

TARRANT*

Australian

law

has

developed

a

principle

known

as

the

theft

principle

which

provides

that

where

goods

are

stolen

the

thief

holds

the

property

rights

to

those

goods

on

trust

for

the

benefit

of

the

victim

of

the

theft.

The

principle

has

been

well

established

in

Australian

law

for

a

century

and

has

not

been

seriously

questioned

in

Australia.

However,

apart

from

isolated

cases

the

principle

remains

a

predominantly

Australian

idea.

The

author

outlines

the

origin

op

the

theft

principle

and

the

complex

property

rights

and

titles

that

are

created

when

goods

are

stolen.

Courts

outside

of

Australia

may

find

that

the

theft

principle

provides

an

additional

useful

remedy

to

limit

the

property

rights

acquired

by

a

thief.

Introduction

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