lesson-3-common-law

1BusinessLaw:AnIntroduction2010fallquarterJing,Li2PriorreadingreadthroughP43-55haveabasicunderstandingofthecaseDonoguevStevenson1932SC(HL)31talkaboutyouropinionaboutthecase3Lesson3CommonlawSourcesoflawinScotland•StatutorysourcesoflawThedominantsourceislegislation,wherepoliticiansmakelaws.•CommonlawsourcesJudgesalsomakelawincourtcases.4Lesson3CommonlawThelifeofthelawhasnotbeenlogic;ithasbeenexperienceCommonlawsources•Judicialprecedent(themostinfluentialofthecommonlawsources)•Custom•Equity•Institutionalwritings5Lesson3Commonlaw•Judicialprecedent(alsoknownasStareDecisis)lawdevelopedbyjudgesthroughdecisionsofcourtsandsimilartribunals(alsocalledcaselaw),ratherthanthroughlegislativestatutesorexecutivebranchaction.Thebodyofprecedentiscalledcommonlawanditbindsfuturedecisions.•Commonlawsystemalegalsystemthatgivesgreatprecedentialweighttocommonlaw,ontheprinciplethatitisunfairtotreatsimilarfactsdifferentlyondifferentoccasions6Lesson3CommonlawDoctrineofJudicialPrecedent(alsoknownsasDoctrineofStareDecisis)Ifasimilardisputehasbeenresolvedinthepast,thecourtisboundtofollowthereasoningusedinthepriordecision.If,however,thecourtfindsthatthecurrentdisputeisfundamentallydistinctfromallpreviouscases,judgeshavetheauthorityanddutytomakelawbycreatingprecedent.Thereafter,thenewdecisionbecomesprecedent,andwillbindfuturecourts.7Lesson3CommonlawDoctrineofJudicialPrecedent(alsoknownsasDoctrineofStareDecisis)•Thecasesareinpoint•Theoriginaldecisionwasmadeinahighercourt•Thereisnoobligationtocoverthispoint8Lesson3CommonlawDonoguevStevenson1932SC(HL)31establishedthemodernformofthetortofnegligenceinEnglishandWelshlaw,anddelictinScotslaw,bysettingoutgeneralprincipleswherebyonepersonwouldoweanotherpersonadutyofcare↓Neighbourrule↓Youownadutyofcaretoyourneighbour9Whoisyourneighbour?whendrivingamotorcaryourneighbourswouldinclude:--anypassengersinyourcar-otherroadusers,driversandtheirpassengers-pedestrians,cyclistsetc-ownersofpropertyadjoiningtheroadYourneighboursarethosepeoplewhom,mightbeharmedbyyournegligentconductifyoucanreasonablyforesee;hasasufficientrelationshipofproximity(接近，临近）orneighbourhoodexistingbetweentheallegedwrongdoerandthepersonwhohassuffereddamage;isfair,justandreasonabletobeimposedliability.10Howtodeterminewhethersomeoneisyourneighbour?SomeonewithrelevantproximityNieceandunclewhogotoswimmingtogetherTherescuerandthevictimTheforseeabilityofareasonablemanMschumacher(舒马赫）andhismotomechanicSomeonewith“eggshell”andhisfriendWhereanindividualhasnotcreatedasituationwhichmaycauseharm,nodutyofcareexiststowarnothersofdangeroussituationsorpreventharmoccurringtothem(fair,justandreasonable)ThepolicemanandthevictimSomeonewhogotaheartattachbywitnessinganaccidentonTV100milesawayandthewrongdoer11Lesson3CommonlawCommonlawsources-Custom-潜规则上班打领带是制度，上班不穿背心是文化theestablishedpatternsofbehaviorthatcanbeobjectivelyverifiedwithinaparticularsocialsetting.Aclaimcanbecarriedoutindefenseofwhathasalwaysbeendoneandacceptedbylaw.Thelegalrightsofwisdomsandchildrenwhentheahusbanddieswithoutleavingawill12Lesson3CommonlawCommonlawsources-Equity