Osborne Judgement

UK legal ruling of 1909 that prevented trade unions from using membership subscriptions to finance the Labour Party. In 1913 the judgement was negated by the Trade Union Act, which permitted them to raise political levies and provide financial support to the Labour Party. Individual trade unionists could ‘contract out’ of the political levy by signing a form saying they did not wish to pay.

W V Osborne, the secretary of the Walthamstow branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and a member of the Liberal Party, took legal action to restrain the union and prohibit financial support for political parties. He won on appeal that was upheld in the House of Lords.