Contingency and the Common Law: 'Hargrave v Goldman' at First Instance

Author(s)
Lunney, Mark
Publication Date
2009
Abstract
The Privy Council decision in 'Goldman v Hargrave' (1967) is an important case on the liability in negligence of occupiers for the spread of things that arise naturally on their land and spread to a neighbour's property and cause damage. Although both the High Court of Australia and the Privy Council found in favour of imposing a legal duty on the occupier, the duty was rejected at first instance in the Supreme Court of Western Australia. This paper considers the way that counsel argued the case before the judge at first instance. The result is a salutary reminder that explanations of particular decisions involve not only an analysis of the historical context in which they are made but also of how legal arguments were placed before the court.
Citation
Australia & New Zealand Law & History E-Journal
ISSN
1177-3170
Link
Language
en
Publisher
Australian and New Zealand Law History Society
Series
Australia and New Zealand Law & History E-Journal
Title
Contingency and the Common Law: 'Hargrave v Goldman' at First Instance
Type of document
Conference Publication
Entity Type
Publication

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