On July 5, 1884, Dudley, Stephens, and Brooks, all able-bodied English seamen, and an English tee-age boy were cast adrift in a lifeboat following a storm at sea. They had no water with them in the boat, and all they had for sustenance were two one-pound tins of turnips. On July 24, Dudley proposed that one of the four in the lifeboat be sacrificed to save the others. Stephens agreed with Dudley, but Brooks refused to consent, and the boy was never asked for his opinion. On July 25, Dudley killed the boy, and the three men then fed on the boys body and blood. Four days later, the men were rescued by a passing vessel. They were taken to England and tried for the murder of the boy. If the men had not fed on the boys body, they would probably have died of starvation within the four-day period. The boy, who was in a much weaker condition, would likely have died before the rest. In view of this information, reason your decision or conclusion after analyzing the definition of the different schools of legal thought presented in the Introduction ppt. lecture and applying to the facts of this case.
