LLB102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Carry Out, Myer, False Imprisonment
WEEK$1!LECTURE:(GENERAL'PRINCIPLES'AND'TRESPASS'TO'PERSON!
Torts&law:&
- A&private&cause&of&action;&law&can&be&modified&or&abolished&by&legislation&&
- Designed&to&provide&a&remedy&for&a&civil&wrong&&
o Compensation&for&loss&due&to&tort&e.g.&injunction&(court&order),&remedy&&
- Based&upon&the&common&law&supplemented&by&legislation&
o Common&scenarios->Gave&them&a&name&&
&
Classification!of!Torts&
&
Law&of&Torts&=&Protection&of&recognised&interests&&
- Torts&can&protect&things&such&as&ownership&of&land,&person,&reputation&and&economic&interests.&
- Promotes&deterrence-&prevents&offenders&from&committing&a&tort&again&
- Regulates&societal&behaviour&&
Trespass!
- Direct!interference&&
- Defendant&at&fault&
- Actionable&per&se&
o Onus&of&proof&is&on&the&defendant&to&disprove&fault&
Actions!on!the!Case!
&
- Indirect!interference&
- Intentional&or&unintentional&interference&
- Plaintiff&must&prove&damages!&
o Cannot&succeed&otherwise&&
- Onus&of&proof&on&the&plaintiff&&
Exception&&
!Where&it&is&a&direct&and&unintentional&interference&resulting&in&damage,&the&plaintiff&can&sue&in&
trespass&or&action&on&the&case&(or&both)&*"McHale"v"Watson&
&
CHARACTERISTICS!OF!TRESPASS!ACTIONS!!
!
Direct!Interference!!
&
- Interference&complained&of&as&a&trespass&has&to&be&an&immediate&result&of&the&defendant&act&&
- May&be&an&unbroken&series&of&consequences&(chain&of&events)&that&may&then&ultimately&result&in&
the&interference&(domino&effect)&
o Hillier"v"Leitch:"Appellant&hit&a&woman&holding&a&child;&the&child&fell&on&the&ground&as&a&
result.&Even&though&the&appellant&made&no&contact&with&the&child,&the&child&was&said&to&
have&been&directly&interfered&with.&&
&
&
&
Fault!
&
- Interference&must&be&intentional&or&done&with&a&lack&of&due&care;&voluntary&
o *McHale"v"Watson"&
- Mere&intention&to&act&is&irrelevant,&unless&the&consequences&were&also&intended&&
o Intentional&if&the&interference&was&a&substantially&certain&result&&
o May& not& have& an& intention& to& hurt,& but& it& is& substantially& certain& that& there& would& be&
consequences&&
&
In&Garrett"v"Dailey,&&
"
Concerned& the& pulling&of&a&chair&when&someone’s&about&to&sit&down,&as&a&result&there&
was& a& injury.& The& court& held& that& although& he& didn’t& intent& to& hurt& the& plaintiff,&it& was&
substantially&certain&that&the&plaintiff& would&fall&if& the&defendant&were&to&pull& his&chair&as&he&
was&a&bout&to&sit&down.&Therefore,&the&defendant&was&at&fault.&&
&
Actionable!per$se$
&
Actionable&per"se"means&that&damage&need¬&be&suffered&by&the&plaintiff&in&order&for&them&to&succeed&
in&the&trespass&action.&You&can&sue&in&trespass&even&though&you&have¬&suffered&any&loss&
&
- Plaintiff& had& rights& to& be& protected.& Trespass& is& about& an& interference& with& rights-& to& deter&
wrongful&conduct.&&
- ‘Damage’&=&loss,&harm,&injury&&
- ‘Damages’&=&$$$&remedy&(award&of&money)&
- Damage&is¬!an&element&of&any&trespass&action&
o i.e.& plaintiff& can& succeed& in& the& trespass& action& without& proving& any& loss& from& the&
interference&
§ Due& to& function& of& trespass,& plaintiff& had& the& right& to& be& protected,& rights&were&
interfered&&
o Plaintiff’s&standing&to&sue&derived&from&the&interference&with&their&rights&&
- Relationship&of&damage&with&damage&as&a&remedy&
o Suffered&damages&=&compensatory&damages&&
§ Compensated&for&loss&
o No&damages&=&Nominal&Damages&&
§ Can&still&win&an&action&and&get&remedy&if&there&is&no&loss,&but&rights&are&interfered&
with&
Onus!of!Proof!!
&
Non-highway&(not&on&the&road)&
- Plaintiff& must& prove& direct& interference,& defendant&prove& that& they& were& not& at& fault& (i.e.& not&
voluntary,¬&intentional&or¬&without&due&care)&
Highway&(on&the&road)&
- Plaintiff&proves&direct&interference&and&fault&of&the&defendant.&&
&
In&*McHale"v"Watson,&
&
Facts:&Plaintiff&was&9-year&old&McHale&and&defendant&was&12&year-old&Watson&and&Watson’s&parents.&
The&plaintiff&sued&in&trespass&to&the&person&and&negligence.&Plaintiff&and&the&defendant&were&playing&
together.& There& was& a& sharpened& piece& of& metal& -& described& as& a& dart-& thrown& by& Watson.& & It& stuck&
McHale& in& the& right& eye& causing& serious& consequences.& It& was& alleged& that& Watson& threw& the& dart&
intending&it&to&hit&McHale,&or,&alternatively,&he&was&negligent&in&throwing&the&dart&the&way&he&did.&It&
was&alleged&that&the&parents&had&been&negligent&in¬&supervising&their&son&and&control&him&or&were&
negligent&in&allowing&their&son&to&have&the&dart.&&
&
His&honour&held&that&Watson&had¬&thrown&the&dart&with&the&intention&to&hit&McHale,&stating&before&
the&High&Court&that:&
“I&can&see&no&reason&why&a&boy&of&his&age,&obviously&old&enough&to&be&well&aware&of&the&danger&
of&such&an&act,&obviously&intelligent&and&seems&well&brought&up&would&suddenly&and&wantingly,&with&
out&any&remark,&throw&a&sharpened&rod&at&another&child&with&whom&he&had&no&quarrel&and&had&been&
happily&playing&with&until&moments&before.”&
&
Court&agreed&with&the&defendant,&establishing&lack&of&fault.&Plaintiff&was&unsuccessful.&&
- There&was&a&direct&interference->&dart&was&thrown&by&the&defendant&and&hit&the&plaintiffs&eye&
- Onus&was&on&the&defendant&to&disprove&fault->&had&to&prove&it&was¬&intentional&or&careless&
o Court& agreed& that& it& was& not& an& intentional& act,& neither& was& it& careless;& taking& into&
account&that&he&was&12-years&old.&&
o Not& negligent,& because& at& the& age& of& 12& he& was& not& acting& below& the& standard& of& a& 12&
year-old&
o Parents& were& not& negligent& because&a& parent& does& not& incur& responsibility& for& the&
misuse&that&was¬&reasonably&foreseeable&&
- Unintentional&&
- Damage&
- Plaintiff&could&have&had&the&option&to&sue&in&trespass&and&in&an&action&on&the&case.&But,&despite&
the&fact&that&she&was&injured&and&did¬&deserve&what& happened,&under&the&law&she&did¬&
receive&any&damages,&compensation&or&remedy.&&&
&
TRESPASS!TO!THE!PERSON!
!
Battery!!
!
At&common&law,&battery&is:&
- An& act& of& the& defendant& which& directly& causes& some& physical& contact& with& the& person& of& the&
plaintiff&(involves&application&of&force)&
- It&is&without&consent&&
- The&Defendant&must&be&at&fault&
&
Queensland&position&
&
Criminal"Code"definition&of&assault&is&applied&to&civil&cases&of&battery&(and&assault).&
"
Criminal"Code"s245:&
& “A&person&who&strikes,&touches,&or&moves,&or&otherwise&applies&force&of&any&kind&to,&the&person&
of& another,& either& directly& or& indirectly,& without& the& other& person's& consent,& or& with& the& other&
person's&consent&if&the&consent&is&obtained&by&fraud&...&is&said&to&assault&that&other&person,&and&the&
act&is&called&an&assault.”&
- In&QLD,&the&application&of&force&can&be&direct&or&indirect.&&
&
Elements:&
&
(1) Direct&or&indirect&application&of&force&to&the&plaintiff’s&person&
(2) Without&the&plaintiff’s&consent&
(3) Defendant&at&fault&&
&
Authority:&Criminal"Code"s245&
&
All&elements&need&to&be&fulfilled&in&order&to&succeed&in&a&trespass&to&person,&battery&action.&&
Document Summary
Week 1 lecture: general principles and trespass to person. A private cause of action; law can be modified or abolished by legislation. Designed to provide a remedy for a civil wrong: compensation for loss due to tort e. g. injunction (court order), remedy. Based upon the common law supplemented by legislation: common scenarios->gave them a name. Law of torts = protection of recognised interests. Torts can protect things such as ownership of land, person, reputation and economic interests. Promotes deterrence- prevents offenders from committing a tort again. Actionable per se: onus of proof is on the defendant to disprove fault. Plaintiff must prove damages: cannot succeed otherwise. Where it is a direct and unintentional interference resulting in damage, the plaintiff can sue in. Exception trespass or action on the case (or both) * mchale v watson. Interference complained of as a trespass has to be an immediate result of the defendant act.
