English Law has so far failed to reconcile the demands of the emerging European human rights jurisprudence with its instinctive tendency to create 'public interest immunities' in respect of the negligence liability of public bodies.

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“English Law has so far failed to reconcile the demands of the emerging European human rights jurisprudence with its instinctive tendency to create ‘public interest immunities’ in respect of the negligence liability of public bodies.  Reform of the law is needed.”

Introduction

The aims of this essay are to critically discuss the statement, “English Law has so far failed to reconcile the demands of the emerging European human rights jurisprudence with its instinctive tendency to create ‘public interest immunities’ in respect of the negligence liability of public bodies.  Reform of the law is needed.”  From this I will establish reasoned arguments as to whether or not I agree or disagree with the statement, illustrating my answer by reference to case law and statutory provisions.

What is the relevant law?

Relevant laws for the argument is contained within Human Rights Acts 1998, section 6, Acts of public authorities, which I extracted from Common Law (Law 103/220) 2002 – 2003 Statutory Materials Handbook.  Which states:

  1. It is unlawful for a public authority to act in a way that is incompatible with a convention right.
  2. Subsection (1) does not apply to an act if -
  1. as the result of one or more provisions of primary legislation, the authority could not have acted differently; or

(b) in the case of one or more provisions of, or made under, primary legislation which cannot be read or given effect in a way which is compatible with the Convention rights, the authority was acting so as to give effect to or enforce those provisions.

  1. In this section “public authority” includes –

(a) a court or tribunal, and

(b) any person certain of whose functions are functions of a public nature, but does not include either House of Parliament or a person exercising functions in connection with proceedings in Parliament.

  1. In subsection (3) “Parliament” does not include the House of Lords in its judicial capacity.

(5) In relation to a particular act, a person is not a public authority by virtue only of

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     subsection (3)(b) if the nature of the act is private.

(6)“An Act” includes a failure to act but does not include a failure to –

  1. introduce in, or lay before, Parliament a proposal for legislation; or

(b)make any primary legislation or remedial order.

Journal article

The journal article I have read is that of Paula Gilker, in which she sets out to demonstrate that reform of the current law is needed.  The article questions whether the case of Osman v Ferguson dictates that maybe different approaches should be taken against negligence claims that are brought against Police ...

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