What is 'battery' under English common law?

What is 'battery' under English common law?

Michael Ehline (Attorney at Law) gives expert video advice on: What is an 'intentional tort'?; What are common law intentional torts?; What is 'battery' under English common law? and more...

Battery' under the English common law, is an intentional tort, where you intentionally cause another person, in this case the victim, harmful or offensive touching, which would not be something that was socially acceptable. For example, if you brushed against someone in a subway in New York, that's something that would be acceptable, and normal in the community of New York. But, brushing up against somebody in a subway, and touching them in a part of their body that would not normally be touched, would be deemed something that could be harmful or offensive. And therefore, you would have a cause of action for intentional tort of battery.