Lord Edward, COKE CJ explained false imprisonment as ‘’Every restraint of the liberty of a free man is imprisonment although he be not in the confines of a prison.’’

It should be noted that false imprisonment is actionable per se and must occur as a result of the direct act of the defendant.

Elements of the tort of false imprisonment

However if the means of escape is risky or may cause injury, there would be liability for false imprisonment. The restraint does not have to be physical. It can be in form of an assertion of authority.

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