R v Reed [1982] 1 WLR 1127

Court: Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

Facts: D1 (Defendant 1) and D2 (Defendant 2) planned to drive from London to Edinburgh in under seven hours, a journey possible within the speed limit but requiring speeding under heavy traffic.

Issue : Was the defendant guilty of conspiracy?

Held: The court held there was no conspiracy to commit a speeding offence until a further agreement to break the speed limit was made.

Key Judicial Statement: Lord Justice Dunn noted, "Conspiracy to commit an offence requires a clear agreement to undertake the illegal act; the mere possibility of committing the offence is not sufficient."