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The Doctrine of Privity in Negligence

Understanding the Path to Donoghue v Stevenson

The Doctrine of Privity in Negligence cover

The Doctrine of Privity in Negligence

Understanding the Path to Donoghue v Stevenson

Description

This book traces the path of the doctrine of privity in negligence, from inception to its famous ousting in Donoghue v Stevenson in 1932.

It begins with the origins of negligence's privity rule in the Industrial Revolution, before considering pressure points for change in the early twentieth century, including rising consumerism and the array of issues faced by married women when suing on a contract. This book challenges the orthodox story that products-based claims in tort were a rarity in English law prior to Donoghue because of the privity bar. Viewed within this narrative, Mrs Donoghue's claim is a tipping point rather than a revolution.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1 - Privity in Negligence Law: The Orthodox Story
Chapter 2 - Winterbottom in the Courts: Consequences to Formalism
Chapter 3 - A Climate Supportive of Privity's Ousting
Chapter 4 - Product Liability in the Early Twentieth Century
Chapter 5 - 'Dangerous Things': an Alternative Path to Success
Conclusion - Donoghue v Stevenson in legal history

Product details

Published 30 Apr 2026
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 272
ISBN 9781509987665
Imprint Hart Publishing
Series Hart Studies in Private Law
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Emily Gordon

Emily Gordon is a College Affiliated Lecturer at S…

Related Titles

Environment: Staging