Access - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition access

Definition :

Access, approach, or the means of approaching. The presumption of a child's legitimacy is rebutted, if it be shown by strong, distinct, satisfactory, and conclusive evidence, see Atchley v. Sprigg, (1864) 33 LJ Ch 345, that the husband-whether before or after marriage-had not access to his wife within such a period of time before the birth, as admits of his having been the father. 'If a husband have access, although others, at the same time, are carrying on a criminal intimacy with his wife, a child born under such circumstances is still legitimate': per Alderson, J., in Cope v. Cope, (1833) 5 C&P 604. Neither husband nor wife is admissible as a witness to prove non-access, Goodright v. Moss, (1777) 2 Cowp p. 594. See also Poulett Peerage Case, 1903 AC 395, and Russell v. Russell, 1924 AC 687 see PATERNITY.

An owner of land adjoining a highway has a right of access to it where the land adjoins for any kind of traffic required for the reasonable enjoyment of his property, Lyon v. Fishmongers Co., (1876) 1 AC 662 (684); and the same case decides that an owner of land has a right of access to and from water whether tidal or non-tidal which is opposite and contiguous to his frontage. And see Marshall v. Blackpool Corporation, (1924) 103 LJ KB 566. For access to light and air, see EASEMENTS. As to provision of access to roofs in the metropolis, see London Building Act, 1930 (21 Geo. 5, c. clviii.), s. 100 (1), (2).

Access to the Sovereign, see PEER, HOUSE OF COMMONS or MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

With its grammatical variations and cognate expressions, means gaining entry into, instructing or communicating with the logical, arithmetical or memory function resources of a computer, computer system or computer network. [Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000), s. 2 (1) (a)]