BTO101 | Torts

This course is a mandatory core course prescribed by the Bar Council of India Rules of Legal Education, 2008. The Law of Torts is primarily concerned with redressal of wrongful civil actions by awarding compensation. As such, the course serves as a foundational course for the understanding of liability and remedies in this context. The course aims to expose students to the traditional as well as the changing notions of tortious liability.

The codification of tortious liability can be seen to a very limited extent such as in the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 and in consumer protection laws. In dealing with the foundational principles of tortious liability as well as specific torts against individuals and property, the course primarily relies on case law from England and India, as well as journal articles that give students a more contemporary understanding of the subject area, as well as books and commentaries on the subject. In addition, the course also deals explores the application of these foundational principles in the context of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This portion of the course will actively discuss the underlying reasons for the way in which these statutes have been enacted as well as the ramifications for those covered by the statutes, as well as any deviations seen from the general practice of tort law.

The course is designed to encourage the participation of students in the classroom, with a combination of lectures and class discussions structed using the Socratic method. Students are required to have read prescribed material for each class, with the aim of structuring discussions around their understanding of the material.