In the case of Christopher Ford v. Archibald Douglas, Maxwell W. Bland and Emeline, his wife, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a deed from Ford to Douglas was valid or not. The dispute arose when Ford sold land in Kentucky to Douglas for $1,000 but failed to deliver possession of it due to an intervening claim by another party who had previously purchased the same property from someone else. The court found that although there were some irregularities in how the sale between Ford and Douglas took place - such as failing to record it with local authorities - these did not invalidate their agreement since they both intended for it be legally binding at time of signing. Furthermore, since no other parties could prove any better title than what was held by either side involved in this case (Ford and Douglas), then ultimately neither one would prevail over the other on this matter; thus making their contract enforceable under law despite its lack of formalities being followed correctly beforehand.

In the case of Christopher Ford v. Archibald Douglas, Maxwell W. Bland, and Emeline his wife, Justice McLean delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the court should not have dismissed Ford's appeal on technical grounds. He asserted that it was wrong to deny justice based on an error made by counsel when there was no prejudice or injury caused to either party as a result of this mistake. Furthermore, he noted that if the court had allowed for exceptions in such cases then it would be more likely to ensure fairness and equity between parties involved in litigation proceedings. In conclusion, Justice McLean believed that dismissing appeals due to minor errors committed by attorneys should only occur when those mistakes cause harm or prejudice one of the litigants involved in a dispute; otherwise they should be overlooked so as not to impede access to justice for all individuals seeking relief from courts of law.