Kerala Judicial Service Law of Torts & Jurisprudence Syllabus

Kerala Judicial Service Law of Torts & Jurisprudence: topic-wise syllabus

1. 1

   Nature, Elements, and Foundations of Tort

   • Definition (Winfield, Salmond): Civil Wrong Independent of Contract, Remedies in Unliquidated Damages
   • Ingredients: Wrongful Act (Act/Omission), Legal Damage (Damnum sine Injuria, Injuria sine Damnum), Legal Remedy
   • Distinction from Crime: Public vs Private Wrong, Mens Rea, Procedure
   • Distinction from Contract: Duty Fixed by Law vs Voluntarily Assumed, Privity
   • Distinction from Breach of Trust, Quasi-Contract
   • Case Law: Ashby v White (Injuria sine Damnum); Gloucester Grammar School (Damnum sine Injuria); Bhim Singh v State of J&K (Constitutional Tort)
2. 2

   General Defences in Tort

   • Volenti Non Fit Injuria (Consent): Knowledge + Voluntary Assumption of Risk
   • Act of God (Vis Major): Extraordinary Natural Events Unforeseeable
   • Inevitable Accident: Without Fault and Unavoidable
   • Necessity: Greater Harm Avoided, Public vs Private
   • Statutory Authority: Express vs Implied, Ultra Vires Acts
   • Private Defence: Proportionate Force, Person and Property
   • Plaintiff's Default, Act of Third Party, Mistake
3. 3

   Trespass to Person, Land, and Goods

   • Assault: Apprehension of Harmful/Offensive Contact, Conditional Threats
   • Battery: Actual Physical Contact, Hostile + Harmful/Offensive
   • False Imprisonment: Total Restraint of Liberty, Knowledge Not Essential, Modes (Arrest, Police, Private)
   • Trespass to Land: Direct Interference, Continuing Trespass, Trespass ab initio
   • Trespass to Goods (Trover, Detinue, Conversion): Interference with Possessory Rights
   • Case Law: Bird v Jones (False Imprisonment); Basudeo v State of UP (Police Custodial Violence); Entick v Carrington (Trespass to Premises)
4. 4

   Negligence

   • Definition: Breach of Duty to Take Care Causing Damage, Three Ingredients
   • Duty of Care: Neighbour Principle (Donoghue v Stevenson 1932), Proximity, Foreseeability
   • Breach of Duty: Standard of Care — Reasonable Man, Professional Standards, Res Ipsa Loquitur
   • Damage: Causation in Fact (But For Test), Remoteness (Wagon Mound I), Novus Actus Interveniens
   • Contributory Negligence: Apportionment of Damage (Law Reform Act 1945/India Section 1A, Fatal Accidents Act)
   • Occupiers' Liability, Nervous Shock, Economic Loss, Professional Negligence (Medical, Legal)
   • Case Law: Donoghue v Stevenson (Neighbour Principle); Jacob Mathew v State of Punjab (Medical Negligence); Bolam v Friern Hospital (Professional Standard)
5. 5

   Nuisance and Defamation

   • Private Nuisance: Unreasonable Interference with Use of Land, Substantial Damage
   • Public Nuisance: Interference with Rights of Public, Crime + Tort, Special Damage
   • Defences to Nuisance: Prescription, Statutory Authority, Coming to Nuisance
   • Defamation: Libel vs Slander, Defamatory Statement, Publication, Reference to Plaintiff
   • Defences: Justification (Truth in Civil), Fair Comment, Privilege (Absolute vs Qualified), Apology
   • Case Law: Rylands v Fletcher (Nuisance, Strict Liability); Rama Rao v Shantibai (Defamation)
6. 6

   Strict and Absolute Liability

   • Strict Liability (Rylands v Fletcher 1868): Escape of Dangerous Thing, Non-Natural Use, Exceptions
   • Absolute Liability (M C Mehta v Union of India 1987): Enterprise Liability for Hazardous Industries, No Defences
   • Indian Position: Public Liability Insurance Act 1991, National Green Tribunal Act 2010
   • The Bhopal Gas Disaster, Oleum Gas Leak Case Principles
7. 7

   Vicarious Liability and Torts Against State

   • Master-Servant: Scope of Employment, Frolic vs Detour, Course of Employment
   • Principal-Agent: Agent's Acts in Course of Agency
   • Partners: Partnership Act, Each Partner Liable for Torts of Co-Partner
   • State Liability: Article 300, Sovereign vs Non-Sovereign Functions
   • Case Law: Kasturi Lal v State of UP (Sovereign Immunity); Nilabati Behera v State of Orissa (Custodial Death, Constitutional Tort)
8. 8

   Remedies and Consumer Protection

   • Judicial Remedies: Damages (General, Special, Nominal, Contemptuous, Exemplary, Vindictive)
   • Extrajudicial Remedies: Self-help, Abatement of Nuisance, Reception of Property
   • Injunction: Temporary, Perpetual, Mandatory, Prohibitory
   • Consumer Protection Act 2019: Consumer Rights, Unfair Trade Practices, Product Liability, Forums