 Due to the Act that Eyre passed just before leaving, the act was found to be justifiable by the law of Jamaica and thus could not be actionable in England.One of the especially contentious parts of Eyre's conduct was the fact that the law he enacted was meant to cover all acts he had "already" done, making "de facto" powers "de jure".There is a presumption in English law against retrospective effect and Willes J, who gave the judgment, noted that "The court will not ascribe retrospective force to new laws affecting rights unless by express words or necessary implication that such was the intention of the legislature".