| Unit name | Law of Tort |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD10011 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Stanton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit will consider the following elements: introduction to case law and doctrines of precedent; introduction to tort law and its role in society; general principles of tortious liability; forms of tortious liability; standards of liability; causation and remoteness of damage; vicarious and joint liability and defences; torts relating to personal injuries, land and reputation.
The unit will aim to develop your skills in common law method: case-law and statutory interpretation. In particular, we will aim to develop your legal writing skills and develop your appreciation of the criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Tort provides an ideal introduction to the techniques involved in the study of case law. Much of the subject is a judicial (as opposed to a statutory) creation and the cases tend to be readily accessible as to their facts and the issues which they raise. A study of tort will also require you to become familiar with some relatively simple statutory materials. By the end of the course you should be competent in handling both case law and those tort principles which are derived from statute. In particular, you should be able to identify the relevant facts and reasoning of a case and be able to identify the similarities and differences between related cases. You should be competent in applying the relevant law to problems which are set for you. Your competence in these matters should enable you to evaluate the law of tort critically
Tort will provide you with your first, and limited, introduction to socio-legal and philosophical critiques of a body of legal doctrine.
Taught by means of 27 lectures and 9 one-hour tutorials
A 3 hour examination involving essays and problem questions
The leading textbook is Giliker & Beckwith, Tort (4th Edition, 2011). An alternative would be Horsey & Rackley: Tort Law (3rd Edition 2013)
If you are looking for a book which extracts of a lot of materials you will need. Choose either Steele, Tort Law: Text, Cases & Materials (2nd edition 2010) or Lunney & Oliphant Tort Law: Text & Materials (5th edition 2013) which is directly comparable in both format and quality.
You might also usefully refer to Atiyah, Accidents, Compensation and the Law (8th ed by P.Cane), Conaghan & Mansell, the Wrongs of Tort (2nd edition) and Weir's, Tort Law. All of these propound strong views.
