linguistic:voice_change, structural:expansion, stylistic:style_transfer, structural:scholar_edition, stylistic:tone
Other common-law countries

Outside the US, a common-law lien may be defined as a passive right to retain a chattel (and, sometimes, documentary intangibles and papers) conferred by law. Modern law has generally left the legal lien to cases where it has been historically established without any real effort to make it applicable to current conditions. In Tappenden v Artus 2 QB 185, Diplock LJ referred to a lien as a "self-help" remedy, like "other primitive remedies such as abatement of a nuisance, self-defence or ejection of trespassers to land". Equitable liens are an unusual species of property right, usually considered sui generis.