... assault and the unlawfulness cannot be denied by pleading that the other consented to the fight. A-G's Reference (No 6 of 1980) [1981]. As the House of Lords recognised in Brown there may be 'good reason' for the intended infliction of actual bodily harm, in which case a valid consent to it may be given. The exceptional cases where a person may validly consent to intentional actual bodily harm are situations where the law regards the public interest to require the exception. The main exceptions are reasonable surgical interference, a properly conducted game or sport, and tattooing and ear piercing. Consent may be a defence to reasonable surgical interference. Surgical interference will involve a wound and can therefore be described as harm to the body. However the law does permit the consent of a patient to surgery performed by a suitably qualified doctor. Clearly there is social utility in such operations being ...

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