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. Tort law is the focus of this chapter. It begins by distinguishing between contractual and tortious liability. It then discusses negligence, common defences to torts, and private nuisance. Negligence involves a breach of a duty to take care, owed in law by the defendant to the claimant, causing the claimant damage. Common defences to torts are illegality, consent, contributory negligence, and necessity. Private nuisance involves unlawful interference with another person’s enjoyment of their land/property which causes the claimant loss (and the loss/damage was reasonably foreseeable). When products cause injury/loss, rather than attempting to claim negligence, a claimant may seek protection through the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 1987.
Chapter
6. Law of torts
Chapter
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.
Book
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. Having begun with a consideration of the meaning of tort and the context of the ‘tort system’, Tort Law Concentrate covers the key elements of negligence: duty of care, breach of duty, and causation. Economic loss and psychiatric injury are specifically discussed. The book also explains the intentional torts: trespass to the person and to land as well as the tort in Wilkinson v Downton are covered, as is product liability. The family of nuisance torts, with their importance for environmental control are included, as is the key issue of remedies. This new edition includes coverage of recent case law, such as Barclays Bank plc v Various Claimants (2020) and Lachaux v Independent Print (2019). This edition has been fully updated in light of developments in the law, including the continuing impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Chapter
13. Occupiers’ liability
This chapter discusses the law on occupiers’ liability, a form of negligence liability which was governed previously by the common law and now by statute law. The key statutes are the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 which governs duty to lawful visitors and the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984, regarding non-visitors, or trespassers. In determining to whom the duty is owed, it is necessary to identify the status of the entrant onto land. To determine who owes the duty as occupier, the main criterion is control of the land. Exclusion of liability and defences are included.
Chapter
11. General Defences
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 general defences, covering key debates, sample questions, diagram answer plan, tips for getting extra marks, and online resources. To answer questions on this topic, students need to understand the following: the concept of negligence; the Occupier’s Liability Acts; the defence of volenti non fit injuria; the defence of contributory negligence and the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945; and the defence of illegality—ex turpi causa non oritur action.
Chapter
4. Negligence III: Causation and Remoteness of Damage
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 causation and remoteness of damage. To answer questions on this topic, students need to understand the following: the concept of causation in negligence; causation in fact: the standard ‘but for’ test; variations of the ‘but for’ test: unknown causes, consecutive causes, and cumulative causes; causation in law: the test for ‘remoteness of damage’; the ‘eggshell-skull’ rule; and novus actus interveniens (new intervening acts): the act of the claimant, the act of third parties, and natural events.
Chapter
10. Product liability
This chapter discusses the law on product liability. Common law product liability is based upon the law of negligence. Beginning with the narrow ratio in Donoghue v Stevenson (1932), it further developed the concept of intermediate examination in Grant v Australian Knitting Mills (1936). The relevant statute is the Consumer Protection Act 1987 (CPA 1987), passed in response to a European Union Directive. This introduces strict liability, when a defective product causes damage. The CPA 19876 establishes a hierarchy of possible defendants beginning with the producer. Defences under the CPA 1987 include the ‘development risks’ defence to protect scientific and technical innovation. If damage relates to quality or value, the only remedy will be in contract.
Chapter
3. Mens rea
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 reviews the mens rea elements of criminal offence. Mens rea means guilty mind, but the term is better thought of as the fault element of the offence. The role of mens rea is to attribute fault or blameworthiness (also called culpability) to the actus reus. The main types of mens rea are intention, recklessness, and negligence. Issues may arise when the mens rea and actus reus do not coincide in time. The doctrine of transferred malice allows mens rea to be transferred from the intended victim to the unintended victim, in certain situations.
Book
Karen Dyer and 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. Concentrate Questions and Answers Tort Law aims to provide the skills for success in exams in this area of law. It starts off by looking at negligence in terms of duty of care, breach of duty and causation and remoteness of damage. It then looks at employers’ liability and vicarious liability. It also considers product and occupiers liabilities. It examines intentional torts. It looks at the case Rylands v Fletcher. General defences and damages are also considered. Finally, it provides mix topic questions and looks at coursework assessments.
Chapter
10. Defamation and Privacy
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. To answer questions on defamation, students need to understand the following: categories of defamation: libel and slander; what constitutes a defamatory statement: innuendo; defences to defamation: absolute privilege and qualified privilege; the Defamation Act 2013; and offer of amends, Defamation Act 1996 sections 2–4. To answer questions on privacy, students need to understand the following: the nature of privacy; the overlap between the torts of misuse of private information, and other causes of action; trespass; negligence; the Human Rights Act 1998; and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.
Chapter
13. Mixed-topic Questions
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 presents mixed-topic questions on tort law. In order to answer them fully, students are required to blend their knowledge of the law of tort. They will be able to assess their knowledge on: the purpose of the law of tort; negligence—duty of care, breach, causation, economic loss; remedies; and vicarious liability. Each question is accompanied by a diagram answer plan and suggested answers. Tips for getting extra marks and online resources are also provided.
Chapter
7. Occupiers’ Liability
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 the issue of occupiers’ liability. In order to answer questions on this topic, students need to understand the following: the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957; the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1984; the ‘control test’—how ‘occupiers’ have been identified by the courts; the difference between a ‘visitor’ and a ‘non-visitor’, and the legal differences that arise; how the courts have interpreted ‘reasonable care’; the concept of ‘breach of duty’ and ‘causation’ in negligence; excluding or restricting negligence liability under s. 65 Consumer Rights Act 2015; and general defences in tort law.
Chapter
6. Misrepresentation
The Concentrate Questions and Answers series offers the best preparation for tackling exam questions. Each book includes typical questions, answer plans and suggested answers, author commentary, and other features. Misrepresentation is defined as a false statement of fact, made pre-contractually, which is intended to induce the representee to enter into a contract and which has that effect. If an actionable misrepresentation is found to exist a court will then need to consider the available remedies. This chapter considers the following issues relevant to answering any problem question on misrepresentation. Has there been a false statement of fact? Is there evidence of inducement? What type of misrepresentation has potentially been made? What remedies are potentially available? Has liability for misrepresentation been effectively excluded? Has there been a breach of contract?
