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Tort Law

Overview

  • Credit value: 30 credits at Level 5
  • Convenor: Dr Frederick Cowell
  • Assessment: a three-hour examination (100%)

Module description

In this module we examine the effectiveness of the tort system in compensating individuals suffering:

  • personal injury
  • injury to reputation
  • psychological damage
  • economic loss
  • incursions on private property as a result of accidents, disease or intentional acts.

Focusing on the tort of negligence, we explore the social, economic and political contexts in which the rules and principles of tort are applied.

We will start by looking at negligence and how it works in practice, and then go on to examine separate torts - nuisance, occupiers’ liability and defamation - before concluding with a session on human rights and tort law.

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will have: 

  • an understanding of the basic rules and principles relating to tort law  
  • familiarity with various theories pertaining to the nature and functions of tort law  
  • the ability to write critically and analytically about key concepts of tort law  
  • a detailed knowledge of principles governing the tort of negligence  
  • knowledge and understanding of key cases in tort law  
  • knowledge and understanding of academic literature relating to tort law  
  • an ability to apply case law, academic articles and, where appropriate, legislative sources to complex hypothetical scenarios in tort and to aid critical analysis of aspects of the law of tort  
  • an understanding of how tort law relates to other European and international legal systems and to other branches of the common law.