Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire [1987]

Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire [1987] UKHL 12, [1989] AC 53 was a significant case in English tort law that established the concept of a duty of care in relation to the police's duty to protect the public from harm caused by third parties.

The case involved the Yorkshire Ripper, who had killed 13 women between 1975 and 1980. The plaintiff, the mother of the last victim, sued the police for negligence, claiming that they had failed to take reasonable steps to apprehend the killer, despite having received several clues and warnings about his identity.

The House of Lords held that the police owed no duty of care to a member of the public in respect of the investigatory and operational decisions taken by them in the course of conducting an investigation. The Court further held that imposing such a duty of care would be undesirable on public policy grounds, as it could lead to the police being deterred from carrying out their duties effectively.

This case was overruled in Robinson v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2018] by the Supreme Court which reviewed the decision in Hill and clarified the scope of the police's duty of care towards members of the public. The Supreme Court held that the principle in Hill did not provide a blanket immunity to the police for all operational decisions, and that the existence of a duty of care would depend on the specific facts of each case. The Court also held that the police could owe a duty of care to members of the public in situations where they had created or enhanced the risk of harm to the public.
Back to blog

UOL Case Bank

Upon joining, you become a valuable UOL student and gain instant access to over 2,100 essential case summaries. UOL Case Bank is constantly expanding. Speed up your revision with us now.

Subscribe Now

Where are our students from?

Council of Europe
Crown Prosecution Service
Baker Mckenzie 
Yale University
University of Chicago
Columbia University
New York University
University of Michigan 
INSEAD
University of London
University College London (UCL)
London School of Economics (LSE)
King’s College London (KCL)
Royal Holloway, University of London 
Birkbeck, University of London
SOAS, University of London
University of Manchester
University of Zurich
University of York
Brandeis University
University of Exeter
University of Sheffield
Boston University
University of Washington
University of Leeds
University of Law
University of Kent
University of Hull
Queen’s University Belfast
Toronto Metropolitan University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
University of Buckingham
ESSEC Business School

  • Criminal Practice

    Diagrams and Charts

    Our carefully designed diagrams and charts will guide you through complex legal issues.

  • Criminal Law

    Clear and Succinct Definitions

    Key concepts are concisely defined to help you understand legal topics quickly.

  • Property Law

    Statutory Provisions

    Statutory provisions are provided side by side with legal concepts to help you swiftly locate the relevant legislation.

  • Public Law

    Case Summaries

    We have summarised important cases for you so that you don't need to read long and boring cases.

  • Evidence

    Rules and Exceptions

    Rules and exceptions are clearly listed so that you know when a rule applies and when it doesn't.

  • Company Law

    Terminology

    Legal terms and key concepts are explained at the beginning of each chapter to help you learn efficiently.

  • Case Law

    Case law is provided side by side with legal concepts so that you know how legal principles and precedents were established.

  • Law Exam Guide

    Law Essay Guide

    You will learn essential law exam skills and essay writing techniques that are not taught in class.

  • Law Exam Guide

    Problem Question Guide

    We will show you how to answer problem questions step by step to achieve first-class results.

  • Conflict of Laws

    Structured Explanations

    Complex legal concepts are broken down into concise and digestible bullet point explanations.

  • Legal System and Method

    Legal Research

    You will learn legal research techniques with our study guide and become a proficient legal researcher.

  • Jurisprudence and Legal Theory

    Exam-focused

    All essential concepts, principles, and case law are included so that you can answer exam questions quickly.