Lord Neuberger reflects on role of policy in tort

In an address delivered at the Northern Ireland Personal Injury Bar’s Inaugural Conference in County Down earlier this month, President of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger reflects on shifts in the underlying principles in the law of negligence and the role of policy in deciding such cases.

Lord Neuberger states that “almost all aspects of tort law, above all negligence, are based on policy”.

He adds: “Of course, almost all legal principles can be said to be ultimately based on policy, but, given the very broad area which tort (in particular negligence) covers, and given the infinite variety of human life, any attempt to identify or distil clear principles in such an area is fraught with problems.”

Read the full address here