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LAW OF TORTS
Lecture 1Lecturer: Prof Sam Blay
Intentional Torts
- Battery- Assault
TEXT BOOKS
• *Baker, Blay et al Torts Law in Principle LBC 4th Ed. 2005
• *Blay, Torts in a Nutshell LBC 1999• Balkin & Davis Law of Torts (2004) 3rd Ed.
Butterworths• Luntz and Hambly Torts Cases and Commentary
(2006) Revised 5th Ed. Butterworths• Trindade and Cane The Law of Torts• Fleming, The Law of Torts (1996)
LEC Torts Website
• www.usyd.edu.au/lec/subjects/torts//materials.htm
• Past exams & comments:
www.library.usyd.edu.au/libraries/law/lpab.html#exams
WHAT IS A TORT?
• A tort is a civil wrong• That (wrong) is based a breach of
a duty imposed by law • Which (breach) gives rise to a
(personal) civil right of action for for a remedy not exclusive to another area of law
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TORT AND A CRIME
• A crime is public /community wrong that gives rise to sanctions usually designated in a specified code. A tort is a civil ‘private’ wrong.
• Action in criminal law is usually brought by the state or the Crown. Tort actions are usually brought by the victims of the tort.
• The principal objective in criminal law is punishment. In torts, it is compensation
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TORT AND A CRIME
• Differences in Procedure:
– Standard of Proof• Criminal law: beyond reasonable doubt
•Torts: on the balance of probabilities
THE AIMS OF TORT LAW
• Loss distribution/adjustment: shifting losses from victims to perpetrators
• Compensation: Through the award of (pecuniary) damages– The object of compensation is to place the
victim in the position he/she was before the tort was committed.
• Punishment: through exemplary or punitive damages. This is a secondary aim.
INTERESTS PROTECTED IN TORT LAW
• Personal security– Trespass– Negligence
• Reputation– Defamation
• Property– Trespass– Conversion
• Economic and financial interests
INTENTIONAL TORTS
•
INTENATIONAL TORTS
Trespass Conversion Detinue
WHAT IS TRESPASS?
• Intentional or negligent act of D which directly causes an injury to the P or his /her property without lawful justification
• The Elements of Trespass:–fault: intentional or negligent act- injury must be direct–injury* may be to the P or to his/her property- No lawful justification
*INJURY IN TRESPASS
• Injury = a breach of right, not necessarily actual damage
• Trespass requires only proof of injury not actual damage
THE GENERAL ELEMENTS OF TRESPASS
Intentional/negligent act
“x” element
Direct interference with person or property
Absence of lawfuljustification+ +
+=
A specificform of trespass
SPECIFIC FORMS OF TRESPASS
TRESPASSTRESPASS
PERSON PROPERTY
BATTERY
ASSAULT
FALSE IMPRISONMENT
BATTERY
• The intentional or negligent act of D which directly causes a physical interference with the body of P without lawful justification
• The distinguishing element: physical interference with P’s body
THE INTENTIONAL ACT IN BATTERY
• No liability without intention
• The intentional act = basic willful act + the consequences.
CAPACITY TO FORM THE INTENT
• D is deemed capable of forming intent if he/she understands the nature of (‘intended’) his/her act
• -Infants–Lunatics–Morris v Marsden–Hart v A. G. of Tasmania ( infant
cutting another infant with razor blade)
THE ACT MUST CAUSE PHYSICAL INTERFERENCE
• The essence of the tort is the protection of the person of P. D’s act short of physical contact is therefore not a battery
• The least touching of another could be battery– Cole v Turner (dicta per Holt CJ)
• ‘The fundamental principle, plain and incontestable, is that every person’s body is inviolate’ ( per Goff LJ, Collins v Wilcock)
The Nature of the Physical Interference
• Rixon v Star City Casino (D places hand
on P’s shoulder to attract his attention; no battery)
• Collins v Wilcock (Police officer holds D’s arm with a view to restraining her when D declines to answer questions and begins to walk away; battery)
• Platt v Nutt
THE INJURY MUST BE CAUSED DIRECTLY
• Injury should be the immediate:–Scott v Shepherd ( Lit squib/fireworks
in market place)
–Hutchins v Maughan (poisoned bait left for dog)
–Southport v Esso Petroleum(Spilt oil on P’s beach)
THE ACT MUST BE WITHOUT LAWFUL JUSTIFICATION
• Consent is Lawful justification
• Consent must be freely given by the P if P is able to understand the nature of the act
• Lawful justification includes the lawful act of law enforcement officers–Wilson v. Marshall (D accused of assaulting
police officer, held officer’s conduct not lawful)
TRESPASS:ASSAULT
• The intentional/negligent act or threat of D which directly places P in reasonable apprehension of an imminent physical interference with his or her person or of someone under his or her control
THE ELEMENTS OF ASSAULT
• There must be a direct threat:–Hall v Fonceca (Threat by P who shook hand in front of
D’s face in an argument)
• In general, mere words are not actionable–Barton v Armstrong
• In general, conditional threats are not actionable–Tuberville v Savage–Police v Greaves –Rozsa v Samuels
• The apprehension must be reasonable; the test is objective
• The interference must be imminent
– Rozsa v Samuels– Police v Greaves
– Hall v Fonceca– Zanker v Vartzokas (P jumps out of a moving van to
escape from D’s unwanted lift)
THE ELEMENTS OF ASSAULTTHE ELEMENTS OF ASSAULT
THE GENERAL ELEMENTS OF TRESPASS
Intentional/negligent act
“x” element
Direct interference Absence of lawfuljustification+ +
+=
A specificform of trespass
SPECIFIC FORMS OF TRESPASS
TRESPASSTRESPASS
PERSON PROPERTY
BATTERY
ASSAULT
FALSE IMPRISONMENT
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