Registry

Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2012 - 2013
Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title	Law of Torts
Module Code	LG216
School	School of Law & Government
Online Module Resources
Module Co-ordinator	Semester 1: Mark Coen Semester 2: Mark Coen Autumn: Mark Coen
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

Description

The course aims to acquaint students with the role of tort law as either apportioning blame or compensating for loss and injury. The module will cover the most common causes of action litigated in the courts and will consider the underlying rules both of the common law and of statute which govern such suits.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the key principles of tort in Ireland
2. Distinguish liability in tort from other areas of the law
3. Apply the rules and principles of tort in Ireland to solve common legal problems which are governed by the law of tort
4. Critique the law of tort as a mechanism for compensating intentional and accidental injuries
5. Identify the individual principles and rules which govern different causes of action in the tort system
6. Locate, classify and summarise relevant legal materials in respect of the law of tort

Workload	Full-time hours per semester
*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Lecture	24	No Description
Independent learning	101	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction.
Nature of the law of tort; tort distinguished from other areas of law; historical developments of the law of tort; role and function of tort in the compensation system..

Negligence.
Development of the duty of care; application of the duty of care to negligent misstatements, psychiatric injuries and pure economic losses; the standard of care; liability for omissions; causation; remoteness of damage..

Professional Negligence.
The development of the professional standard of care; medicine and the law of tort; negligence actions against solicitors and barristers..

Occupiers' Liability.
Occupiers' Liability Act 1995.

Liability for Products.
Liability for Defective Products Act 1991.

Intentional Torts to the Person.
Trespass; False Imprisonment; Assault; Battery; The rule in Wilkinson v Downton..

Torts Relating to Land.
Trespass; Nuisance; Rylands v Fletcher; Liability for Trees..

Torts Relating to Reputation.
Slander; Libel; Defamation Act 1961; Reforming Defamation; Invasions of Privacy..

The Civil Liability System.
The Statute of Limitations Act 1957; damages in the Law of Tort; multiple wrong-doers under the Civil Liability Act 1961; actions for fatal injuries; the impact of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003..

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	30%	Examination Weight	70%

Course Work Breakdown
Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Essay	n/a	30%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; 1 = A resit is available for all components of the module 2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module 3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

E Quill: 2009, Torts in Ireland, 3rd edn, Gill and MacMillan, Dublin,
J Helay: 2006, Principles of Irish Torts, 1st edn, Clarus Press,
B McMahon and W Binchy: 2000, Irish Law of Torts, 3rd edn, Tottel, Dublin,
U Connolly and S Quinlivan: 2006, Tort, Cases and Materials, Thomson Round hall,
B McMahon and W Binchy: 2005, Casebook on the Irish Law of Torts, 3rd edn, Tottel,
S Deakin, A Johnston, B Markesini: 2008, Tort Law, 6th edn, Oxford University Press,
W Rogers: 2007, Winfield and Jolowicz on Tort, 17th edn, Sweet and Maxwell, London,

Other Resources

None

Array

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