9. C.J.S. Trespass § 12.]
“The word ‘trespasser’ has an ugly sound, but it covers the wicked and the innocent. The burglar and the arrogant squatter are trespassers, but so are all sorts of comparatively innocent and respectable persons such as a walker in the countryside who unhindered strolls across an open field. Perhaps much of the trouble in this area has arisen from ‘the simplistic stereotype’ of the definition. The courts are therefore beginning to recognise that the duty of the occupier may vary according to the nature of the trespasser.” R.F.V. Heuston, Salmond on the Law of Torts 278 (17th ed. 1977).
innocent trespasser. One who enters another’s land unlawfully, but either inadvertently or believing in a right to do so. [Cases: Trespass 2, 23. C.J.S. Trespass §§ 6, 36–37, 39–45, 164.]
