LW201-5-QF-:
Tort Law

The details
2025/26
Essex Law School
Full Year - Partner
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 26 June 2026
30
07 August 2025

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

LLB M100BH Law

Module description

This 30 credit module covers the key topics required for an understanding of English tort law, and complements students’ previous study of other areas of the law of obligations.

Module aims

The module will introduce students to the duty of care and the principles of civil liability for negligence. Students will learn how to apply principles and caselaw in tort to scenarios such as psychiatric harm, economic loss, negligence by omission and the liability of public bodies. The module also covers the principles of vicarious liability.

Later in the module, students will learn about so-called ‘land torts’ and consider the relevant principles of occupiers' liability regimes and how these augment the additional controls of the use of land, found in the principles of nuisance and the rule in Rylands v Fletcher.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Understand the duty of care and how a claim in negligence may arise.

  2. Apply the principles of negligence liability in specific duty-based scenarios.

  3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the policy issues that underpin the imposition of liability.

  4. Show a clear understand of the divisions and borders between the various liability regimes governing the use of land.

  5. Read, understand and critically analyse judicial decisions.

  6. Apply the relevant case-law and principles to appropriate problem scenarios.

Module information

The module will include coverage of the following topics:


Specific Duty Scenarios



  • Occupiers' Liability

  • Nuisance and Rylands

  • Vicarious Liability

  • Economic Loss

  • Psychiatric Harm


Non-standard Duty Scenarios and Further Elements of a Tort



  • Non-standard Duty scenarios (Donoghue to Caparo and beyond)

  • Breach of Duty

  • Causation in Fact

  • Causation in Law

  • Defences, Damages and Remedies

Learning and teaching methods

The module will be delivered by a weekly 2-hour lecture and a weekly 1-hour tutorial.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Final Coursework Mark      
Exam  Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 195 minutes during Partnership 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 195 minutes during Partnership 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
40% 60%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
0% 100%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Darren Calley, email: dscall@essex.ac.uk.
The Law Education Admin Team - lawschoolug@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Mrs Rebecca Louise Gladwin-Geoghegan
Coventry University
Associate Head of School (Student Experience)
Resources
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.

 

Further information
Essex Law School

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