LW201-6-FY-CO:
Tort Law

The details
2023/24
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
18 October 2023

 

Requisites for this module
LW101 or LW108
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

LLB M103 Law (Senior Status)

Module description

This 30 credit module covers the key topics required for an understanding of English tort law, and complements students’ previous study of other areas of the law of obligations.

Module aims

The module will introduce students to the duty of care and the principles of civil liability for negligence. Students will learn how to apply principles and caselaw in tort to scenarios such as psychiatric harm, economic loss, negligence by omission and the liability of public bodies. The module also covers the principles of vicarious liability.

Later in the module, students will learn about so-called ‘land torts’ and consider the relevant principles of occupiers' liability regimes and how these augment the additional controls of the use of land, found in the principles of nuisance and the rule in Rylands v Fletcher.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Understand the duty of care and how a claim in negligence may arise.

  2. Apply the principles of negligence liability in specific duty-based scenarios.

  3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the policy issues that underpin the imposition of liability.

  4. Show a clear understand of the divisions and borders between the various liability regimes governing the use of land.

  5. Read, understand and critically analyse judicial decisions.

  6. Apply the relevant case-law and principles to appropriate problem scenarios.

Module information

The module will include coverage of the following topics:


Specific Duty Scenarios



  • Occupiers' Liability

  • Nuisance and Rylands

  • Vicarious Liability

  • Economic Loss

  • Psychiatric Harm


Non-standard Duty Scenarios and Further Elements of a Tort



  • Non-standard Duty scenarios (Donoghue to Caparo and beyond)

  • Breach of Duty

  • Causation in Fact

  • Causation in Law

  • Defences, Damages and Remedies

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered by a weekly 2-hour lecture and a weekly 1-hour tutorial.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Essay (LW201 Tort Law)     50% 
Practical   Multiple Choice Quizzes - Continuous Assessment (LW201 Tort Law)    50% 
Exam  Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 195 minutes during Summer (Main Period) 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 195 minutes during September (Reassessment Period) 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
40% 60%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
0% 100%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Darren Calley, email: dscall@essex.ac.uk.
Law Education Office, lawschoolug@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
No
No

External examiner

Dr Richard Bowyer
University of Exeter
Senior Lecturer
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 60 hours, 48 (80%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
12 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Essex Law School

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