Kenneth Warner examines public bodies and the common law duty of care
When is it right that a public authority acting in pursuance of its statutory functions should be held accountable by way of the tort of negligence? On the consensus of contemporary case law: rarely. This is a position which is surely socially controversial.
In Jain v Trent Strategic Health Authority [2007] EWCA Civ 1186; [2008] 2 WLR 456, the Court of appeal by majority (Lady Justice Arden and Lord Justice Wilson; Lord Justice Jacob dissenting) held that no duty of care in negligence arose on the part of the defendant authority (Trent) in making an urgent ex parte application to a magistrate for immediate cancellation of the registration of the plaintiff s’ nursing home. The application was granted and the nursing home was closed.
The residents were moved to other accommodation and the Jains’ business was extinguished. Although their appeal under the statutory procedure to a registered homes tribunal succeeded, they were unable to revive it. The Jains had suffered a pure economic loss at the hands of the authority.
Criticism
The tribunal was
