Lord Henley, the Lord Chancellor, dismissed the action, with costs against Shanley. In his judgment he held that as soon as a person set foot on English soil, he or she became free and that a "negro" might maintain an action against his or her master for ill usage, together with an application for "habeas corpus" if detained. However, such comments were not necessary for the decision in the case, and in law were only "obiter dictum" and not binding on subsequent courts.