Tournier v National Provincial & Union Bank of England (1924)

As is well known, the great case of Tournier v National Provincial and Union Bank of England held that a bank owes a duty of confidentiality to its customers. The duty extends at least to information concerning account transactions and extends beyond the date of the termination of the banker customer contract. Information attained from other sources, like a credit agency, is also covered by the duty. The duty is not absolute for the bank may disclose information where the disclosure is under compulsion by law, where there is a duty to the public to disclose, where the interests of the bank require disclosure and where the disclosure is made by the express or implied consent of the customer.

Tournier had an overdraft with the defendant bank. He had made arrangements to make payments toward the reduction of the overdraft, but after only three installments ceased to make further payments. Tournier was the payee of a cheque drawn by Woldingham Traders Ld. Rather than deposit the cheque ...