Law of Torts

“It was not until 1932 that the limited notion of the duty of care in negligence expressed in the
earlier case law was expanded into the notions of closeness, proximity and neighbourhood that define
the modern duty of care.” Discuss this statement. In your answer you should explain the approach of the
courts in determining the existence of a duty of care prior to 1932 and how, on a doctrinal
level,Donoghue v Stevenson changed that.

• word limit: 1500 words, excluding footnotes and bibliography
• font: Times New Roman point 12
• line spacing: 1.5
• marks will be awarded for clarity of expression, grammar, punctuation, syntax, structure and
layout, evidence of wide reading, and proper use of the Oxford Standard for the Citation of Legal
Authorities

Below are the pre-1932 cases, they will form the basis of your assignment and you will need to
understand the facts of the cases, the rules of law applied, and
the rationale for the rulings:

1. Langridge v Levy 1837
2. Winterbottom v Wright 1842
3. Longmeid v Holliday 1851
4. George v Skivington 1869
5. 5- Heaven v Pender 1883
6. 6- Derry v Peek 1889
7. 7- Le Lievre v Gould 1893
8. 10- Blacker v Lake & Elliot Ltd 1912