Torts

Catalog description

The course examines the effectiveness of the tort system in compensating individuals suffering personal injury, injury to reputation, psychological damage, economic loss or incursions on private property as a result of accidents, disease or intentional acts. Focusing on the tort of negligence in particular, the course explores the social, economic and political contexts in which the rules and principles of tort are applied. The first part of the course will explore the historical development of tort, the nature of tort law and the relation between tort and other branches of the law of obligations and tort's relation with other legal systems. It provides an in-depth exploration of two organizing themes (fault and damage) within tort law drawing upon a range of examples from tort law and from the tort of negligence. Part two contains the core of the course and is an extensive exploration of the tort of negligence, with special emphasis on an examination of the duty of care concept. The final part of the course explores some intentional torts, with emphasis on torts aimed at the protection of reputation, confidential information and the quiet enjoyment of land.