Critically examine the changes brought about in the law by the provisions of the Occupiers Liability Act 1984. To what extent do these changes constitute an improvement upon the common law?

The law concerning the liability of an occupier has been regulated by the Occupiers Liability Acts 1957 & 1984 which were developed from the pre-existing concepts of the common law. The common law principles were regarded as complicated as the entrants to a premises were classified into different categories, namely, Invitee, Licensee, and Trespasser.  Accordingly the duty owed by the occupier varied according to the classification of the entrant which created various standards and unnecessary ambiguity and complication in the law. In an effort to simplify the law Parliament fist enacted the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 which replaced the complicated common law categories and created one single category of entrant known as lawful visitors. However the new terminology did not cover other types of entrants to land such as trespassers who were subject to the onerous rules establishe…(short extract)