Tort Liability and Public Authorities

Content:

While the course has a public sector orientation, it is designed to provide non-lawyers with an overview of tort law and to provide law graduates with an up-to-date review of basic principle and critical analysis of recent developments. There is some flexibility in the content. Topics to be covered include:

• the field of tort law;
• modern principles of negligence;
• negligent liability of public authorities, with particular attention to failure to exercise a statutory power, and economic loss;
• breach of statutory duty;
• nuisance;
• misfeasance in public office;
• the "economic torts" - inducing breach of contract, intimidation and conspiracy

A participant who has successfully completed this course should:

• have an overview of the shape of, and trends in, modern tort law;
• understand the principles of negligence, and their particular application to governments and public authorities;
• understand the operation of the separate torts of nuisance, breach of statutory duty, misfeasance in public office and inducing breach of contract;
• be able to analyse critically the policy issues involved, and appreciate the intersection of tort law with other principles and bodies of law.

Assessment is likely to comprise an 8,000 word assignment on a topic of the student's choice (subject to the lecturer's approval).

Students must rely on the Approved Assessment which will be posted to the ANU Law website, prior to the commencement of the course. 

26 Contact Hours (Intensive Delivery)

Click here for the 2010 timetable