Home Office v Dorset Yacht [1970]

Home Office v Dorset Yacht Co Ltd [1970] UKHL 2 is a pivotal case in English tort law that significantly influenced the development of negligence principles. The House of Lords decision in this case, focusing on negligence, marked the initiation of a notable expansion in the scope of negligence in the UK. The case addressed key issues related to the duty of care, the liability of government bodies, an individual's responsibility for the acts of third parties facilitated by them, and the concept of liability for omissions.

Ten borstal trainees under the control of Home Office officers escaped and damaged a yacht owned by Dorset Yacht Co. The owners sued the Home Office for negligence, claiming damages. The Home Office argued that no duty of care existed, citing the absence of precedent for such circumstances and asserting immunity from legal action due to the public nature of its duties.

Lord Denning MR, in the Court of Appeal, held that the Home Office should be liable based on public policy. He argued that, historically, the risk of negligence had fallen on the innocent victim, but he suggested a shift in favour of holding the officers of Borstal institutions liable for negligence. He acknowledged the force of the argument against this shift but emphasised the need to impose liability in such cases.

The House of Lords upheld the decision with a 4–1 majority. Lord Reid expressed an incrementalist approach to the development of the duty of care, noting a trend toward regarding the law of negligence as depending on principles. He cited Lord Atkin's notion of proximity or a sufficient nexus established in Donoghue v Stevenson as a guiding principle. Lord Reid stated that this principle should apply unless there is a valid justification or explanation for its exclusion in new circumstances. Viscount Dilhorne dissented.

The case marked a significant expansion in the scope of negligence in the UK, particularly in the context of government liability, liability for acts of third parties facilitated by an individual, and liability for omissions. Lord Reid's articulation of an incrementalist approach to the duty of care development is noteworthy. The case underscored the evolving nature of negligence law and the courts' willingness to adapt established principles to new circumstances, emphasising the application of recognised principles rather than strict adherence to precedent. This case remains a landmark case that influenced the subsequent trajectory of negligence law in the UK.
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