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Negligence – Duty to take care. The claimant had suffered burns when his uncle, who had unknowingly been suffering with florid paranoid schizophrenia, had set fire to himself. He sought damages in negligence under his uncle's household insurance policy. The judge found that his uncle's actions had not been voluntary, therefore he had not owed a duty of care. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, allowed the claimant's appeal. It held that the actions of a defendant, who was merely impaired by medical problems, whether physical or mental, could not escape liability if he caused injury by failing to exercise reasonable care unless his condition entirely eliminated his responsibility.
Negligence – Duty to take care. The claimant had suffered burns when his uncle, who had unknowingly been suffering with florid paranoid schizophrenia, had set fire to himself. He sought damages in negligence under his uncle's household insurance policy. The judge found that his uncle's actions had not been voluntary, therefore he had not owed a duty of care. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division, allowed the claimant's appeal. It held that the actions of a defendant, who was merely impaired by medical problems, whether physical or mental, could not escape liability if he caused injury by failing to exercise reasonable care unless his condition entirely eliminated his responsibility.
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
A career shaped by advocacy beyond her practice, and the realities of living with an invisible disability – Dr Natasha Shotunde, Black Barristers’ Network Co-Founder and its Chair for seven years, reflects on a decade at the Bar
Responding to criticism on the narrow profile of government-instructed counsel, Mel Nebhrajani CB describes the system-wide change at GLD to drive fairer distribution of work and broader development of talent
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
