英美法律制度-Tort-Law.ppt

Tort Law What is a tort? (1) a tort is a civil wrong committed by one person against another; and (2) torts can and usually do arise outside of any agreement between the parties. Law of Tort vs. Law of torts Tort law is concerned with liability for personal injuries and property damage. In England and America, the law of torts is still largely a matter of common law, which means, the law of torts is based on precedents, and it may be different from place to place, absent of uniform legal applications. Forms of action Trespass Trespass on the Case 我们已经埋葬了诉讼形式，但它们仍从坟墓中统治我们。 ---- Maitland 英美侵权行为法是一个以个案形式发展起来的法律分支，法律规定不能够从成文法典中寻找，而只能从法官先前的判例中去发现；法律理论不存在着准确性和一致性，相似的案件可能存在着相互冲突的法律规则。 在英美法系国家并不存在侵权法（law of tort）,而仅仅存在侵权行为法（law of torts）,这就是,存在着一系列的作为或不作为,它们在一定的条件下,可以被提起各种特定的故意侵权诉讼或过失侵权诉讼, 或严格责任诉讼。 正如刑法是由确定各种具体的犯罪行为的众多规则所组成一样,侵权行为法亦是由众多的确定特定损害行为的各种规则所组成。在各种具体的情况中,根本不存在有关侵权责任的一般原则。……”-- Salmond 两大法系的差别 法典/先例，规范/规则，形式/实质，逻辑/经验 All tortious conduct falls into one of three categories: intentionally inflicted injury; failure to exercise reasonable care; and conduct giving rise to strict liability. Impact of such classification First, impact on the scope of liability The three categories differ concerning D’s liability for far-reaching, unexpected, consequences. The more culpable D’s conduct, the more far-reaching his liability for unexpected consequences ---- so an intentional tortfeasor is liable for a wider range of unexpected consequences than is a negligent tortfeasor. Secondly, on the measure of damages. The measure of damages is generally broader for the more culpable categories. In particular, an intentional tortfeasor seems to be more blameworthy than the one who is under strict liability; for punitive damages, reckless or intentional conducts may justify such an award, where as punitive damages are available only if the evidence establishes a high degree of blameworthiness on the part of the defendant. I. INTE