Liability Of The Crown

"With government having assumed an important role in most areas of economic and social life, issues relating to potential legal liability for wrongful or negligent activity have taken on increasing importance. When things go wrong, whether it involves matters as diverse as problems with the blood supply, with unsafe drinking water, or the failure of a major financial institution, those who suffer loss inevitably look to whether their losses can be traced back to government or regulatory failure.

With government now having assumed an important role in most areas of economic and social life, issues relating to potential legal liability for wrongful or negligent activity has taken on increasing importance. When things go wrong, whether it involves matters as diverse as problems with the blood supply or with unsafe drinking water, those who suffer loss inevitably look to seek whether their losses can be traced back to government or regulatory failure.

The first five editions of this well established book were written by Colin Turpin. This new edition has been prepared jointly by Colin Turpin and Adam Tomkins. This edition sees a major restructuring of the material, as well as a complete updating. New developments such as the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and recent case law concerning the sovereignty of Parliament, the Human Rights Act, counter-terrorism and protests against the Iraq War, among other matters, are extracted and analysed. While it includes extensive material and commentary on contemporary constitutional reform, Turpin and Tomkins is a book that covers the historical traditions and the continuity of the British constitution as well as the current tide of change. All the chapters contain detailed suggestions for further reading. Designed principally for law students the book includes substantial extracts from parliamentary and other political sources, as well as from legislation and case law. As such it is essential reading also for politics and government students. Much of the material has been reworked and with its fresh design the book provides a detailed yet accessible account of the British constitution at a fascinating moment in its ongoing development.

First published in 1953, this book presents a comparative study of the civil liability of governments in America, Europe and the Commonwealth.