Describes few points regarding the Development of Tort Law in England.

1. DEVELOPMENT OF
TORT LAW IN
ENGLAND
By
Aaditya Vasu
2013001

2. INTRODUCTION
◦ English tort law concerns civil wrongs, as distinguished
from criminal wrongs, in the law of England and Wales.
◦ Some wrongs are the concern of the state, and so
the police can enforce the law on the wrongdoers in court – in a
criminal case.
◦ A tort is not enforced by the police, and it is a civil action taken
by one citizen against another, and tried in a court in front of
a judge (only rarely, in certain cases of defamation , with a jury).
◦ Tort derives from Middle English for "injury“.

3. ◦ Following Roman law, the English system has long been based on a
closed system of nominate torts, such as trespass and battery.
◦ This is in contrast to continental legal systems, which have since
adopted more open systems of tortious liability. There are various
categories of tort, which lead back to the system of separate causes
of action.
◦ The tort of negligence is however increasing in importance over other
types of tort, providing a wide scope of protection, especially
since Donoghue v Stevenson
11/24/2013
3

4. Cases which Developed the Tort Law in England.
◦ Donoghue v. Stevenson [1932] UKHL 100
◦ Nettle ship v. Weston [1971] 3 WLR 370
◦ Pickford v. Imperial Chemical Industries [1998] 1 WLR 1189
◦ Lamb v. Camden LBC
◦ Caparo Industries PLC v. Dickman [1990] UKHL 2
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