When a person has been harmed by the conduct of another it is the law of torts which determines who has to bear the loss.   This is an important aspect of the civil law (in contrast to criminal law).  Historically, it derived largely from judicial decisions, and hence was largely what we call common law but in more recent times legislation has become increasingly important.  The law of torts protects people against, and compensates them for, unreasonable interferences with a wide range of interests, including their bodily integrity, property, reputation, and financial interests.  It does this through a range of different torts, including trespass, negligence, nuisance and defamation.  In this basic and introductory course we will focus on the use of the torts of trespass and negligence in contexts where people suffer personal injuries.  We will also look at the tort of trespass to land.