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Tort law cases often make the news headlines. The purpose of the web links provided here is to fill you in on some of the background to the cases and, occasionally, statutes that you are studying. They include a mixture of video and audio clips, newspaper reports, blog posts, Government reports, case reports and so on. We've also taken the opportunity to include 'updates' where the law has changed or developed since the publication of the book.
In our experience it is often easier to remember the facts or decision of a particular case when you know a bit more about its background - when you can, for example, visualise the parties involved, or picture the accident or event that lead to the claim. We also believe that awareness of the context of a particular case or the passage of a statute can often help students understand – and begin to question – why the decision was reached, or why the introduction of legislation was felt necessary. Our view is that it is important that you experience – and engage with – tort law as a dynamic and fluid process, as a body of progressive rather than static, ahistorical rules. We hope that the links provided here (as well as other things you may link to from them) will help you do this and that they will give you a sense of historical perspective and an insight into the role of the context and history in the development of legal doctrine.
We've done our best to ensure that the links are as extensive as possible but the links are (obviously) not exhaustive. We urge you to make keep an eye on developments both in tort and other areas of law by reading good legal blogs as well as the law pages of quality newspapers online.
Of course, we also know that on occasions (particularly when a deadline is pressing) these sort of additional materials (as well as the others included on our online resources) can prove to be a bit of a distraction. These links are intended to supplement your studies. They are not an alternative to the harder work of reading the text book, academic commentary, and cases. In fact, there is no excuse for not reading the cases. Within these web links we've provided deep links on BAILLI to a selection of key cases from each chapter, and we encourage you to put your background reading, watching, and surfing to good use by reading these in full so that you gain a deeper understanding of the issues they raise.
THE HILLSBOROUGH STADIUM DISASTER
There is a lot of material on the web about the Hillsborough Stadium disaster – especially since the Independent Panel found, in September 2012, that just under half of the 96 fatalities might have been avoided had the fans received prompt treatment. It also concluded that the police and emergency services had made "strenuous attempts" to deflect the blame for the disaster on to the fans. Here is just a taster of some of the coverage from the BBC News archives:
*Warning: these links contain material which some may find distressing.*
On This Day: 15 April 1989: Football fans crushed at Hillsborough
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/15/newsid_2491000/2491195.stm
Hillsborough 10 Years On
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/04/99/hillsborough/319303.stm
Hillsborough inquests: The 96 who died
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26765007
Hillsborough's Sad Legacy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/04/99/hillsborough/313635.stm
Includes audio clips from Trevor Hicks and others
Footage of the Hillsborough Anniversary – including another interview with Trevor Hicks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8001082.stm
There are moving ‘pen portraits’ of some of the Hillsborough victims on the BBC website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27311857
BBC Audio Clip on discussing the House of Lords' decision in White
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/226855.stm
Timetable to Tragedy - includes news clip from the day after the tragedy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/317931.stm
Hillsborough disaster and its aftermath, 19 December 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19545126
Inquest and criminal prosecutions
In December 2012, the High Court quashed the verdicts of the original inquests and ordered fresh inquests.
Hillsborough inquest verdicts quashed by High Court, 19 December 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-20772416
BBC News, ‘Hillsborough inquests: What you need to know’, 26 April 2016
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-35383110
David Conn, ‘Hillsborough inquests jury rules 96 victims were unlawfully killed’, The Guardian,26 April 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/26/hillsborough-inquests-jury-says-96-victims-were-unlawfully-killed
David Conn, ‘Hillsborough disaster: deadly mistakes and lies that lasted decades’, The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/apr/26/hillsborough-disaster-deadly-mistakes-and-lies-that-lasted-decades
Following the Independent Police Complaints Commission’s (IPCC) investigation into the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, three former senior South Yorkshire Police (SYP) officers and a solicitor who represented the force have been charged with criminal offences
https://www.wired-gov.net/wg/news.nsf/articles/Criminal+charges+following+IPCC+Hillsborough+investigations+29062017102500?open
Some charges were dropped, and the jury in the trial of Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield were unable to reach a verdict.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-47800960
Hillsborough papers: Cameron apology over 'double injustice', 12 September 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-19543964
David Conn, ‘Hillsborough families attack ‘ludicrous’ acquittals of police’ 26 May 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/26/hillsborough-trial-of-former-south-yorkshire-police-officers-collapses
Other information about the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster
Following the Independent Panel’s report the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched an investigation into the extent of the police cover-up. Initial investigations have found that 164 police statements had been altered. In January 2017, files of evidence relating to 23 cases were referred to the CPS to decide whether criminal charges should follow. See further: https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/investigations/hillsborough-investigation
In December 2012, the High Court quashed the verdicts of the original inquests and ordered fresh inquests. You can follow the progress of these here: http://hillsboroughinquests.independent.gov.uk/ and via Twitter @Hboroinquests
BBC Panorama documentary: Hillsborough – how they buried the truth
A Panorama investigation revealing how police, politicians, lawyers and judges all played a part in burying the truth about Britain's worst football disaster. You can watch the programme on BBC iplayer here (until May 2014): http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01svp5s. And on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2L_8sj6Wyc&noredirect=1\
Recovering Truth, Informing Justice- Researching the Hillsborough Disaster, 17 April 2013
Lecture by Phil Scraton, a Professor at Queens University Belfast, who has written widely on the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E0QTrvZNac
Guardian archive on the Hillsborough Stadium Disaster
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/hillsborough-disaster
Hillsborough family support group
http://hfsg.co.uk/
Hillsborough Justice Campaign
www.contrast.org/hillsborough/
Hillsborough – TV Drama (1996). Jimmy McGovern's dramatisation of the Hillsborough football stadium disaster both investigates the police actions which caused it and explores its effects on the victims' families, skilfully using the dramatised documentary form to weave together public issues and private emotion. Note: your institution will need to have access to BFI Screenonline to be able to view the clips available below
www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1052988/index.html
PIPER ALPHA OIL DISASTER (McFarlane v EE Caledonia Ltd [1994]).
From the BBC News archives:
On This Day 6 July 1988 Piper Alpha oil rig ablaze - includes video of the disaster
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/6/newsid_3017000/3017294.stm
Piper Alpha: 25th anniversary of disaster remembered at ceremony
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-23185487
Other information about the Piper Alpha Disaster from the web:
Twenty years on, Piper Alpha survivor tells of fleeing fireball, Charlene Sweeney, Times 4 July 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article4272717.ece
Terry Macalister, Piper Alpha disaster: how 167 oil rig workers died, The Guardian, 4 July 2013
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jul/04/piper-alpha-disaster-167-oil-rig
THE KINGS CROSS UNDERGROUND DISASTER (Hale v London Underground [1992])
From the BBC News archives:
On This Day 1987: Disaster underground
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/witness/november/18/newsid_3267000/3267833.stm
Secondary Victim Claims update with Gideon Barth
In Episode 122 of the 1 COR podcast, Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Gideon Barth about secondary victim claims, and the recent case of Paul v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust [2020] EWHC 1415.
https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2020/07/28/new-podcast-episode-secondary-victim-claims-update-with-gideon-barth/
Cases
Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1992]
www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1991/5.html
Page v Smith [1996]
www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1995/7.html
White v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1998]
www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/1998/45.html