Tort Law (GDL)

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 6
• Convenor: Frederick Cowell
• Assessment: a 24-hour take-home examination (100%)

This module 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, we will explore the social, economic and political contexts in which the rules and principles of tort are applied. We start by looking at negligence and how it works in practice and then go on to examine separate torts: nuisance and defamation.

Indicative module syllabus

• Duty of Care in Negligence
• Breach of Duty
• Clinical Negligence
• Psychiatric Damage
• Economic Loss
• Vicarious Libaility
• Occupiers' Liability
• Causation
• Defences to Negligence
• Defamation
• Nuisance

By the end of this module, you will be able to demonstrate:

• understanding of the basic rules and principles relating to tort law
• familiarity with theories pertaining to the nature and functions of tort law
• an ability to write critically and analytically about key concepts of tort law
• 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 legislative sources to complex hypothetical scenarios in tort and to aid critical analysis of aspects of tort law.