Tort Law - Defences to Negligence Flashcards
Petrol station, Wild West
Yachuk v Oliver Blais
Evans LJ in Revill v Newberry
One thing to deny gains from illegal conduct, but another to deny compensation for personal injury
What judge in what case stated that the last opportunity doctrine was now inappropriate after LR(CN)A?
Denning in Jones v Livox Quarries
Law Com 2009 Consultation Paper
Insufficient flexibility and discretion so broad it would be uncertain for illegality defence to go on statutory footing
Adams v Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway judgment
CN, bc not in situation which ‘obliged him to adopt alternative of a dangerous leap or to remain at certain peril’
What did Atiyah highlight about CN reductions?
D is usually insured, but C’s CN is usually personally borne, means negligent people do not pay for consequences but CN people do
Helicopter
Morris v Murray
Baker v TE Hopkins judgment
No CN - judge situation from rescuer’s point of view
Pitts v Hunt general
Motorcycle drunk
Latin phrase for voluntary assumption of risk
Volenti non fit injuria
In what case did the ECJ say compensation can only be limited in ‘exceptional circumstances’, appearing to complicate CN?
Candolin v Pahjola
Woolridge v Sumner judgment
No application of volenti
Churchill v Wilkinson
Thought CN reduction fell within Candolin, and thus no breach of EU law
L&O on Froom guidelines and EU law
May be inconsistent with Motor Insurance Directive
Why is the case of Canterbury Medical Council v Taylor doubted?
Only risk of injury need be accepted for volenti, not injury itself
When were the recommendations by the Law Revision Committee 8th Report enacted?
1945
Why couldn’t C claim future earnings in Hewison v Meridian Shipping PTE?
Would have only got future earnings if he had continued with the deception
What judge in what case stated that it is one thing to deny gains from illegal conduct, but another to deny compensation for personal injury?
Evans LJ in Revill v Newberry
Social security benefits, joint purchase
Tinsley v Milligan
Glofcheski on Pitts v Hunt
They refused to set the standard, showing judicial abstention
Case on impossibility of ascertaining standard of care for illegality defence
Pitts v Hunt
What did LJ Diplock focus on in Woolridge v Sumner?
Reasonable acts of reasonable person in D’s situation, ignoring C’s consent or lack thereof
What judge in Vellino v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester applied illegality under FJR limb - one of many factors?
Sedley LJ
Why has the defence of illegality developed more in recent years
Elimination of the volenti defence for motor vehicle accidents
What did the court in Apotex highlight there is no need to assess?
Significance of illegalit
Translation of ex turpi causa no oritur actio
No action arises from a disgraceful cause
What academic required two strands of knowledge for volenti defence?
Jaffey
What two cases showed that volenti does not operate if C’s act was one which D had a DoC to prevent?
Kirkham v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester; Reeves v MPC
What are the two possible scenarios for the volenti defence?
Express agreement D will not sue C if the risk materialises into an injury, or implicit in situation that C agrees to the risk
How many people, at the time of Froom v Butcher, did not wear their seatbelt?
75%
What two strands of knowledge does Jaffey require for volenti defence?
C fully aware of possibility of negligence, and fully ware of facts making it likely D would commit specific act of negligence
What two cases show that if CN was not available for actions prior to 1945, not available after Act either
Pritchard v CoOp and Standard Charters Bank v Pakistan Shipping
Butterfield v Forrester general
Pole, horse, ‘riding violently’
To what do the courts look in order to ascertain implied agreement?
C’s conduct
To what torts does the illegality defence apply?
All torts generally
What did Denning say on application of causation in Jones v Livox?
Changed after LR(CN)A - last opportunity doctrine now inappropriate
Pritchard v CoOp general
Manager hit
Why does Buckley favour Hounga v Allen?
Openness and pragmatism
‘No court will lend its aid to a man who founds his cause of action on an immoral or an illegal act’
Homan v Johnson
Lord Reid in Staple v Gypsum Mines
Consider two factors in particular for apportionment in CN - relative fault of D and C, and causal potency of each party’s contribution
Jones v Livox Quarries on causation
Distinction between linked events and that which is ‘no more than part of the history’
Jackson v Murry general
Car hit pedesterian
Shot firers, brothers
ICI Ltd v Shatwell
Law Com 2001 Consultation Paper
Suggested illegality defence go on statutory footing, with ‘structured discretion’
Interlocutory injunction loss, manufacturing illegal
Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Inc
Afternoon drive, more drunk
Dann v Hamilton
Drug addict, bunkbed, withdrawal
St George v Home Office
Why did Tinsley v Milligan reject public conscience test?
Defence is not discretionary
What did the minority argue for apportionment of CN in Corr v IBC?
0%
Joyce v O’Brien judgment
If you enter into a criminal act increasing risk to injury, and are injured, the law regards your criminal act as causing your injury
What was the apportionment of CN in Corr v IBC?
20% because he had some choice (albeit distorted)
When did LJ Diplock say there would be no application of volenti in Woolridge v Sumner?
If DoC stems solely from Donoghue’s ‘neighbourliness’ principle (foreseeability of injury)
Woolridge v Sumner general
Horse competition, photographer
What kind of language did Lord Pearce use in ICI Ltd v Shatwell?
Contractual
Baker v TE Hopkins general
Two workers, well, doctor
Shed shot
Revill v Newberry
What judge in Morris v Murray showed concern that the more drunker a D, the better their legal position with regard to volenti?
LJ Fox
Hounga v Allen judgment
Public policy approach
What modern case shows a radical, open-ended approach to illegality defence?
Hounga v Allen
Jones v Livox Quarries on standards of care for CN
Degree of care a reasonable person would take
What judge in what case adopted a ‘public conscience’ test in minority for illegality defence?
Beldam LJ in Pitts v Hunt
What judge in Gray reasoned through inconsistency?
Rodger
What academic favours Hounga approach?
Buckley
What English case suggests CN apportionment under Froom falls within Candolin?
Churchill v Wilkinson
Name two cases which explore the standard of care expected to avoid CN when D’s negligence created an emergency
Adams v Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; Baker v TE Hopkins
Morris v Murray judgment
Volenti applied
Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Inc on illegality defence generally
Lord Sumption claimed illegality is more ‘judicial abstention’ than a defence
S.1 LR(CN)A
CN is not a complete defence, allowing reduction if partly C’s own fault or partly fault of others
Yachuk v Oliver Blais judgment
No expectation they would exercise care for their own safety - only 7 and 9
Who refashions the volenti defence as an assessment of P’s conduct?
Tan
What did Denning MR say in Gough?
Child could never be liable for CN, and older only if to BLAME for failing to take precautions
What are the two ingredients for volenti in implied situation?
Knowledge + implied agreement
Famous quote from Dann v Hamilton
‘Intermeddling with an unexploded bomb or walking on the edge of an unfenced cliff’
Lexi Holdings v DTZ Debenham
LJ Briggs showed Hoffmann’s approach is not a ‘universally applicable test’
Name at least three approaches to illegality defence
Criminality irrelevant, impossibility of ascertaining standard of care, relevant to FJR and reliance test
Why did volenti not apply in Corr?
Suicide not truly voluntary due to clinical depression
Candolin v Pahjola judgment
ECJ said compensation can only be limited in ‘exceptional circumstances’
What case enforced that to apportion CN, judges must balance out ‘strands of policy’ to reflect state responsibility AND personal autonomy
Reeves v MPC
Froom v Butcher on apportionment
Per Lord Denning, benchmark for ‘classic’ cases at 25% for protective devices at least
What is interesting about the finding of C’s mental health in Reeves v MPC?
Found to be of sound mind, and thus act WAS voluntary and well-considered
Dann v Hamilton general
Afternoon drive, more drunk
What case expressly rejected public policy required reassessment of Froom guidelines because of increase awareness in importance of protective devices
J v Wilkins
Dissenting judge in Vellino v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester
Sedley LJ
ICI Ltd v Shatwell judgment
Volenti applied - SF knew the risk
What case rejected public conscience test?
Tinsley v Milligan
How did Lord Reid characterise someone who deliberately and knowingly disobeys orders, running a risk?
Not negligence at all - volenti defence
What judge in what case stated that one person at fault does not ‘dispense with another’s using ordinary care for himself’?
Lord Ellenborugh CJ in Butterfield v Forrester
Medical treatment, boxing
Watson v British Boxing Board
What judge in what case asked if the child could be to BLAME for failing to take precautions?
Denning MR in Gough v Thorne
What standard COULD have been applied in Pitts v Hunt?
Nettleship v Weston Ordinary reasonable driver
Candolin v Pahjola general
Compensation denied in Finland
What two cases show a reasonable person test to avoid CN reduction is based on what one OUGHT to do, not what the majority DO do
Smith v Finch; Froom v Butcher
St George v Home Office considered what would have happened if CN had applied - what was their decision?
No reduction whatsoever because C in state facility who knew of his addiction
Motorcycle drunk
Pitts v Hunt
What did the judges in Revill v Newberry consider illegality relevant for?
Contracts
Standard Charters Bank v Pakistan Shipping general
Misrepresented shipping date, pay price
Hewison v Meridian Shipping PTE general
Seafarer, epilepsy, deception
Who said that the judgment in Corr showed ‘no understanding of the effect of serious depression’
O’Sullivan
Latin phrase for illegality
Ex turpi causa no oritur actio
What does turpitude mean?
Wrongfulness
What kinds of acts can give rise to a claim for contributory negligence?
Intentional AND negligent acts of C
Dillon LJ in Pitts v Hunt
Need sufficient causal connection between illegality and injury for illegality defence
Gray showed law developing along recommendation lines, so no legislative reform needed
Law Com 2010
Kirkham v Chief Constable of Greater Manchester judgment
Not of sound mind so damages, and volenti doesn’t apply if act of C was one which gave D DoC