20. Product Liability

This chapter begins by tracing the evolution of product liability law in England and America. It then discusses the causes of action and components of liability. Liability evolved from an initial position in which the law of negligence played a minor role in compensating victims of dangerously defective products, thanks largely to the ‘privity of contract fallacy’. Donoghue v. Stevenson put an end to this and ushered in the modern, all-embracing duty of care as far as physical injury and property damage are concerned. With the adoption of Directive 85/374/EEC and its subsequent implementation in the form of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, a form of strict or ‘stricter’ liability based on the American model was incorporated into English law.

18. Employer’s Liability

The liability of an employer to an employee has two aspects. There is liability to employees for harm suffered by them, and liability for harm caused by them in the course of their employment (vicarious liability, covered in chapter 19). Both represent forms of stricter liability. This chapter discusses the negligence law liability of employers, liabilities arising from statutory duties, and related aspects of social security law. It analyses the concept of the non-delegable duty in the employment context. It also discusses the implications for employer’s liability of reforms made to the law of breach of statutory duty in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013.

17. Liability for Animals

Liability for Animals raises further questions about the role, and future, of strict liability in the context of the law of tort. This chapter examines the special rules of strict liability under the Animals Act 1971, including those concerning liability for straying livestock, liability for ‘dangerous animals’, and liability for dogs. This is followed by discussions of defences, remoteness of damage and strict liability, and liability for dogs. The wording of the Animals Act 1971 is notoriously complex, and the law in this area is, for this reason, the object of must frustration for courts, and tort law students, alike. Even so, the law governing liability of animals concerns matters of social concern and, for the time-being at least, it seems that the Act is here to stay.

16. The Rule in Rylands v. Fletcher

This chapter examines the rule in Rylands v. Fletcher, a rule which remains controversial to this day. The rule states that anyone who, in the course of a ‘non-natural’ use of his land ‘accumulates’ thereon for his own purposes anything likely to do mischief if it escapes, is answerable for all direct damage thereby caused. It discusses the requirements for liability, the various controlling mechanisms used to limit the scope of the rule; what and whose interests are protected by it; and the relationship between Rylands v. Fletcher and private nuisance. The chapter also explores the important questions that the rule in Rylands v. Fletcher raises about the nature, and future, of strict liability in the law of tort in general.

12. Trespass to Land

This chapter discusses trespass to land and defences. Trespass can be committed in various ways, provided that the interference is direct and immediate. The boundary between trespass and other torts, particularly nuisance, is sometimes difficult to draw. Entry on to land is simply the most obvious example of trespass, but other examples include: placing things on land or inducing animals to enter. The Limitation Act 1623, section 5 provides that if the defendant pleads disclaimer of title to the land and if ‘the trespass was by negligence or involuntary’ and he makes a tender of sufficient amends, action against him shall be barred. The claimant’s consent is always a defence to an action in trespass, in the sense that it constitutes ‘leave and licence’.

5. Liability for Damage Caused: Causation and Remoteness

This chapter examines the third element of the tort of negligence, namely, causation. The defendant’s carelessness must be shown to have caused the loss or damage in question. The finding of a sufficient causal link is an essential ingredient in all forms of tort liability (with the exception of torts actionable without proof of damage). The discussions cover the nature of the causal inquiry; but-for causation; and remoteness of damage. There is extensive discussion of the Fairchild principle and the issue of causation in complex cases of liability for occupational illness and disease, with particular reference to the mesothelioma case law.

3. Establishing Liability in Principle: Duty of Care

This chapter discusses the following: the duty concept and the elements of the tort of negligence; formulating the duty of care; kinds of damage; the manner of infliction; and the way in which the notion of duty confines liability by reference to the nature of the parties involved.

24. Damages

This chapter is the first of two chapters concerned with remedies. The focus of this chapter is monetary remedies; the financial consequences of a proven tort. It begins by discussing the notion of damage, and damages, before exploring different types of damages; the principle of full compensation; the interrelationship of tort and other compensation systems; pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses; death in relation to tort; and damage to property.

21. Defamation and Injurious Falsehood

Defamation, a tort that protects a claimant’s reputation, has been the subject of much debate in recent years, culminating in the passing of the Defamation Act in 2013. A tort of historic origin, defamation raises novel challenges in an age of internet and digital communication technology, particularly given increasing concerns about freedom of expression, and the protection of privacy. Like many aspects of the law discussed in this book, moreover, defamation has not been left untouched by human rights developments. The chapter begins with an introduction to defamation, covering the meaning of ‘defamatory’ and libel and slander. It then discusses elements of liability, both in the common law, and under the Defamation Act 2013; defences; damages; mitigation of damage; and injurious falsehoods and passing off.

8. Liability of Public and Statutory Bodies

This chapter discusses the distinctive nature of the liability of the government, public authorities, and statutory bodies; the liability of statutory bodies in negligence; liability for breach of statutory duty; public law as a source of liability; public law as a source of immunity; Crown proceedings in tort; liability for breaches of EU law; and liabilities arising under the Human Rights Act 1998. The chapter explores in detail the question of whether public authorities, and the police in particular, are under a duty of care when undertaking and performing their operational duties, in light of the Supreme Court decision in Robinson v. Chief Constable of West Yorkshire. In turn, it teases out some of the broader implications of what is a rapidly evolving, and politically sensitive, aspect of the law.