*/
Beer: The Singular Case of Donoghue v Stevenson
Matthew Chapman
Wildy, Simmonds and Hill; Hardback (December 2009); £14.99 ISBN: 0854900497
“You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour. Who, then, in law is my neighbour? The answer seems to be – persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called into question” per Lord Atkin.
Donoghue v Stevenson is one of the primary examples of judicial law-making. It has affected countless interactions throughout the world for decades since it was decided.
In this thoroughly researched homage to the “snail case” Matthew Chapman takes the reader to Paisley in Scotland, where on a Sunday in August 1928, a 30-year-old shop assistant, May Donoghue, sat down in the Wellmeadow Café to enjoy a bottle of ginger beer with a friend.
Matthew Chapman appears to have carefully researched every aspect of the story to provide the reader with all the “flesh” that is omitted from the bones of the law reports. Each of the characters is brought to life, including the noble Law Lords whose duty it was in December 1932 to decide to whom each of us owes a duty of care.
Lord Atkin’s biblical answer to that question has resonated with lawyers for decades since it was first delivered. Together with Lord Macmillan’s pronouncement that the “categories of negligence are never closed”, Lord Atkin’s ruling was initially met with unease from those who feared the floodgates opening. Matthew Chapman analyses the timid response to Lord Atkin’s ruling in the early case law that followed Donoghue v Stevenson. However, slowly but surely the full effect of the landmark judgment began to reverberate throughout the commonwealth jurisdictions of the world.
For the full story, look no further than this book.
Trevor Archer, barrister, 18 Red Lion Square
Donoghue v Stevenson is one of the primary examples of judicial law-making. It has affected countless interactions throughout the world for decades since it was decided.
In this thoroughly researched homage to the “snail case” Matthew Chapman takes the reader to Paisley in Scotland, where on a Sunday in August 1928, a 30-year-old shop assistant, May Donoghue, sat down in the Wellmeadow Café to enjoy a bottle of ginger beer with a friend.
Matthew Chapman appears to have carefully researched every aspect of the story to provide the reader with all the “flesh” that is omitted from the bones of the law reports. Each of the characters is brought to life, including the noble Law Lords whose duty it was in December 1932 to decide to whom each of us owes a duty of care.
Lord Atkin’s biblical answer to that question has resonated with lawyers for decades since it was first delivered. Together with Lord Macmillan’s pronouncement that the “categories of negligence are never closed”, Lord Atkin’s ruling was initially met with unease from those who feared the floodgates opening. Matthew Chapman analyses the timid response to Lord Atkin’s ruling in the early case law that followed Donoghue v Stevenson. However, slowly but surely the full effect of the landmark judgment began to reverberate throughout the commonwealth jurisdictions of the world.
For the full story, look no further than this book.
Trevor Archer, barrister, 18 Red Lion Square
Beer: The Singular Case of Donoghue v Stevenson
Matthew Chapman
Wildy, Simmonds and Hill; Hardback (December 2009); £14.99 ISBN: 0854900497
“You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour. Who, then, in law is my neighbour? The answer seems to be – persons who are so closely and directly affected by my act that I ought to have them in contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called into question” per Lord Atkin.
Chair of the Bar reports back
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, outlines the drug and alcohol testing options available for family law professionals, and how a new, free guide can help identify the most appropriate testing method for each specific case
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest ONS data on drug misuse and its implications for toxicology testing in family law cases
The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave
Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way
Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines
There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse
Kindness Ambassadors – coming to a courtroom near you! Valerie Charbit, Nicola Shannon KC and Professor Robin Banerjee update readers on the second phase of the project examining, and promoting, the impact of kindness and how it can fit into an adversarial system
