Celebrated for their conceptual clarity, titles in the Clarendon Law Series offer concise, accessible overviews of major fields of law and legal thought. This chapter discusses breach of duty. To establish breach of duty, it must be determined that there was some misbehaviour by the defendant himself. The chapter addresses the question of whether the defendant behaved reasonably. It considers factors such as foreseeability of harm objective standard, normal practice, utility of conduct, cost of prevention, conduct of others, and emergencies. It then turns to the identification of the breach.
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3. Breach of Duty
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8. Breach of duty: the standard of care
This chapter focuses on breach of duty. Breach occurs where a defendant has fallen below the particular standard of care demanded by the law. This is largely an objective test and is determined by comparing the actions of the defendant to those imagined to be done in the same circumstances by the so-called ‘reasonable man’. The questions to be answered are how the defendant ought to have behaved (what was the required standard of care) and how the defendant did behave (did they in fact fall below that standard).
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3. Negligence II: Breach of Duty
Dr Karen Dyer and Dr Anil Balan
Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses negligence in terms of breach of duty. To answer questions on this topic, students need to understand the following: the concept of duty of care in negligence; the objective standard of care: the ‘reasonable person’ and factors relevant to the standard of care; variations of the objective standard: children, emergency situations, sporting events, and skilled persons ‘professing to have a special skill’; and res ipsa loquitur.
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Dunnage v Randall [2016] QB 639
Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Dunnage v Randall [2016] QB 639. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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R v Broughton [2020] EWCA Crim 1093, Court of Appeal
Essential Cases: Criminal Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in R v Broughton [2020] EWCA Crim 1093, Court of Appeal. The document also included supporting commentary from author Jonathan Herring.
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13. An introduction to the law of torts
This chapter provides an introduction to the law of torts. It explains that the objectives of tort law are to compensate those who suffer harm, to deter conduct that causes harm, and to protect legitimate interests. Tort law, along with contract law, forms the backbone of Britain’s civil justice system and is of immense importance to the business community because it represents a significant source of legal exposure for businesses. The chapter provides an introduction to the concept of the duty of care, as well as discussing who can sue and be sued in the event of a breach of duty. Finally, the chapter discusses how the law of torts has been affected by the European Convention on Human Rights.
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22. Directors’ duties
This chapter examines the duties placed upon company directors. These include the duty to act within the company’s powers, to promote the success of the company, to exercise independent judgment, to exercise skill and care, and the various duties relating to conflicts of interest (such as the duty to avoid a conflict of interest, and the duty not to accept benefits from third parties). It describes the company transactions that require member approval and explains the limitation period for an action alleging breach of duty by a director. This chapter also considers the ways a director who is liable for breaching his duties may obtain relief from liability.
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12. Breach of statutory duty
This chapter discusses liability for breach of statutory duty. There may be cases where a statute renders a certain activity a crime, and the law imposes an additional civil liability towards a person harmed by the act. While some statutes state this directly, most statutes make no mention of potential civil liability, but nevertheless liability may be imposed if the court believes that Parliament impliedly intended there to be a remedy. Not only are there difficulties about when a civil duty will be spelt out of a criminal or regulatory statute, but there are also problems about the role and function of the tort of statutory duty.
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12. Breach of statutory duty
This chapter discusses liability for breach of statutory duty. There may be cases where a statute renders a certain activity a crime, and the law imposes an additional civil liability towards a person harmed by the act. While some statutes state this directly, most statutes make no mention of potential civil liability, but nevertheless liability may be imposed if the court believes that Parliament impliedly intended there to be a remedy. Not only are there difficulties about when a civil duty will be spelt out of a criminal or regulatory statute, but there are also problems about the role and function of the tort of statutory duty.
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20. The derivative claim and the rule in Foss v Harbottle
This chapter discusses further aspects of shareholder remedies, namely the common law multiple derivative claim; derivative claims under Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006), Part 11; the reflective loss principle; personal actions at common law; and specific statutory rights under the CA 2006. At common law, a shareholder aggrieved by a breach of duty by a director could bring a derivative claim on behalf of the company, as an exception to the rule in Foss v Harbottle. That common law claim now remains as a common law multiple derivative claim whereas the ‘ordinary’ derivative claim now is a statutory claim under CA 2006, Part 11. This chapter explores both types of derivative claim and assesses their value to shareholders. An important constraint on shareholder recovery is the principle governing reflective loss which has recently been restated by the Supreme Court. This chapter considers the current position in the light of that development.
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Bolton v Stone [1951] AC 850
Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Bolton v Stone [1951] AC 850. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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Nettleship v Weston [1971] 2 QB 691
Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Nettleship v Weston [1971] 2 QB 691. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [1957] 1 WLR 582
Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [1957] 1 WLR 582. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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Bolitho v City and Hackney HA [1998] AC 232
Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Bolitho v City and Hackney HA [1998] AC 232. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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Tomlinson v Congleton BC [2004] 1 AC 46
Essential Cases: Tort Law provides a bridge between course textbooks and key case judgments. This case document summarizes the facts and decision in Tomlinson v Congleton BC [2004] 1 AC 46. The document also included supporting commentary from author Craig Purshouse.
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4. Liability for Fault: Breach
This chapter examines the principal element of the cause of action in negligence, namely breach of duty. The issue of breach of duty is concerned with whether the defendant was careless, in the sense of failing to conform to the standard of care applicable to him. The discussions cover the concept of breach of duty; the objective standard; professional and regulatory standards; updating of standards in the light of new information; the role of cost-benefit analysis and the ‘Learned Hand’ test; weighing the risk and gravity of harm against the cost of prevention; and proof of carelessness, including discussion of the res ipsa loquitur principle.
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14. The tort of negligence
This chapter focuses on the tort of negligence. It explains that under the English legal system, negligence can be defined as a breach of a legal duty to take care which results in damage to the claimant. It suggests that negligence is the most important tort and is central in allowing victims to obtain compensation for injuries that they suffer. The chapter discusses in detail the four requirements for establishing negligence, namely the establishment of a duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and remoteness. This chapter also discusses the current test to establish a duty of care which includes foreseeability of damage, proximity, and fairness of the imposition of a duty.
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7. Breach of duty: the standard of care
Once it has been established that there is a sufficient relationship between the parties to establish a duty, the question then arises whether the defendant has been in breach of this duty. This involves a number of issues, many of which involve the judgment of the ‘reasonable man’. The defendant’s behaviour must have fallen below the level of the standard of care owed, which defines the level of safety a claimant is entitled to expect. The ‘reasonable man’ may give the impression of certainty where there is none, for whether it is reasonable to take a certain risk involves questions of economic and social policy which are rarely expressed in the law reports.
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3. The Standard of Care in Negligence
All books in this flagship series contain carefully selected substantial extracts from key cases, legislation, and academic debate, providing able students with a stand-alone resource. This chapter introduces the reader to the fault principle or negligence standard, along with its positive and negative implications. This chapter first asks. ‘What is negligence?’. It covers the standard of care and, within this, it looks at the objective standard. The chapter goes on to explore the way in which professional skill and care are assessed in the medical context. It also considers reasonable risk-taking and the absence of evidence of fault.
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7. Breach of duty: the standard of care
Once it has been established that there is a sufficient relationship between the parties to establish a duty, the question then arises whether the defendant has been in breach of this duty. This involves a number of issues, many of which involve the judgement of the ‘reasonable man’. The defendant’s behaviour must have fallen below the level of the standard of care owed, which defines the level of safety a claimant is entitled to expect. The ‘reasonable man’ may give the impression of certainty where there is none, for whether it is reasonable to take a certain risk involves questions of economic and social policy which are rarely expressed in the law reports.
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