The Gazette 1990

GAZETTE

nua

february

1990

ion is to adjudicate according to

principle, leaving policy curtail-

ment to the judgment of

Parliament. Here lies the true role

of the two law making institu-

tions in our Constitution. By

concentrating on principle the

Judges can keep the common

law alive, flexible and consistent,

and can keep the legal system-

clear of policy problems which

neither they, nor the forensic

process which it is their duty to

operate, are equipped to resolve.

If principle leads to results which

are thought to be socially un-

acceptable, Parliament can legis-

late to draw a line or map out a

new path. The real risk to the

common law is not its move-

ment to cover new situations

and new knowledge but lest it

should stand still, halted by a

conservative judicial approach".

NOTES

(1) McLoughlin

-v- O'Brian and Others,

House of Lords, [1983) A.C. 410, [1982]

2 All E.R. 298 [1982] 2 W.L.R. 982,

[1982] R.T.R. 209, 5 I.L.R. 121, 6 May

1982. The historical development of

compensation for nervous shock is

chronicled in the speech of Lord Bridge

(2) For cases where it has received

passing mention, see

Kelly -v-

McElligott

(Sup Ct) [1951] 85 I.L.T.R.

Piunkett -v- St. Laurence

Hospital

[1952] 86 I.L.T.R. 157;

Heaney -v-

Ma/occa

[1958] I.R. 111, 92 I.L.T.R. 117.

For a case which is more to the point

see

Hogg -v- Keane

[19561 I.R. 155.

( 3 ) See

Anns -v- Merton Borough Council

[1977] 2 All E.R. 492, [1978] AC 728;

[1977] 2 W.L.R. 1024; and

Leigh and

Siiiavan Ltd. -v- Aiiakmon Shipping Co.

Ltd.,

Court of Appeal (Civil Division),

[1985] Q.B. 350, [1985] 2 All E.R. 44,

[1985] 2 W.L.R. 289, [1985] 1 Lloyd's

Rep. 199, (48 M.L.R. 352), 7

December 1984.

(4) [1932] AC 562 at 580.

( 5) See

Rondel -v- Worsley

[1967] 3 All

E.R. 993, [1969] 1 A.C. 191. Also

Hosford and Others -v- John Murphy

& Sons

[1988] I.L.R.M. 300, excluding

claims in respect of non-pecuniary

benefits deriving from the parent/child

relationship.

(6 ) Leigh and Siiiavan Ltd. -v- Aiiakmon

Shipping Co. Ltd.,

Court of Appeal

(Civil Division), [1985] Q.B. 350,

[1985] 2 All E.R. 44, [1985] 2 W.L.R.

289, [19851 1 Lloyd's Rep. 199, (48

M.L.R.. 352), 7 December 1984.

( 7 ) See the Judgment of Lord Scarman in

McLoughlin

-v- O'Brian

[1982] 2 All

E.R. at 310.

(8) 11953] 1 All E.R. 617, 623.

( 9 )

Brice and Others -v- Brown and others,

Queen's Bench Division, [1984] 1 All

E.R. 997, ([1984] C.L.J. 238), 13 July

1983 and

Gait -v- British

Railways

Board,

Queen's Bench Division, 133

N.L.J. 870, (Transcript: WH Clark), 20

May 1983.

(10)

King -v- Phillips,

Court of Appeal

[1953] 1 Q.B. 429. [1953] 1 All E.R.

617, [1953] 2 W.L.R. 526, 5 I.L.R. 70,

16 February 1953 and

Smith -v- Leech

Brain & Co.

[1961] 3 All E.R. 1159.

(11) [1987] I.L.R.M. 202, [1986] I.R. 642.

(12) This does not appear to be entirely

correct. See

Schneider -v- Eisovitch

[1960] 2 Q.B. 430, [1960] 2 W.L.R.

169 and [1960] 1 All E.R. 169, where

a wife who was involved in a road

traffic accident with her husband but

was rendered unconscious in the

accident was told in hospital (after she

recovered consciousness) of her hus-

band's death. She recovered damages

for nervous shock. McGregor on

Damages, 14th Edition, paragraph

154, suggests that this decision is

based on

re Poiemis

and is no longer

good law because it was not

foreseeable that the Plaintiff would

suffer injury by nervous shock.

However, this case was approved post

Wagon Mound in

Andrews -v-

Williams

[1967] V.R. 831, and the

unforeseeability argument would

appear to be unconvincing in the light

of the decision in

McLoughlin -v-

O'Brian

fn(l). Supra.

(13) In the claim for damages for nervous

shock, Christine Keegan was awarded

£50,000 and John Keegan was

awarded nothing.

(14) This view is supported by

Wiggs -v-

British Railways Board,

Queen's Bench

Division, 136 N.L.J. 446, The Times

4 February 1986 (Transcript:

Palantype), 31 January, 1986.

( 1 5 ) See

Behrens and Another -v- Bertram

Mills Circus Ltd.,

Queen's Bench

Division, [1957] 2 Q.B. 1, [1957] 1 All

E.R. 583, [1957] 2. W.L.R. 404, 30

January, 1957 and

Benson -v- Lee

[1972] V.R. 879, 17 Digest (Reissue)

151, and

Kraij and another -v- McGrath

and another,

Queen's Bench Division,

[1986] 1 All E.R. 54, 27 June, 1985.

The State (Keegan) -v- Stardust

Compensation Tribunal.

Supra, Finlay

C.J. said that it appeared to be the law

in Ireland that grief even if it gave rise

to psychiatric disorder may not give

rise to liability for damages.

(16) However, if grief makes recovery from

other injuries more prolonged it may

be taken into account.

Kraij and

another

-v- McGrath

and

another.

Queen's Bench Division, [1986] 1 All

E.R. 54, 27 June, 1985.

(17) Brice and Others -v- Brown and others.

Queen's Bench Division, [1984] 1 All

E.R. 997, ([1984] CLJ 238), 13 July,

1983.

( 1 8 )

Attia -v- British Gas pic,

Court of

Appeal, Civil Division, [1987] 3 All E.R.

455, 2 W.L.R. 1101, 26 June, 1987.

Leave to appeal refused. [1988] 1 All

E.R., xvi, H.L.

(19)

Diesen -v- Samson

[1971] S.L.T. 49.

( 2 0 )

Jarvis -v- Swan Tours

[1973] Q.B.

233.

(21)

Archer -v- Brown,

Queen's Bench

Division, [1985] Q.B. 401, [1984] 2 All

E.R. 267, [1984] 3 W.L.R. 350, 28

October, 1983.

(22)

Roche -v- Peiiow.

[ 1985JIR 232. See

White: Irish Law of Damages p734.

See also

Fiannery -v- Houlihan

HC,

1987 op. cit. p738.

( 23) (1888) 12 App. Cas 222. In

Kelly -v-

McElligott

(Sup. Ct. 1951). 85 I.L.T.R.

4, 16. Black J. described this as "a

thoroughly discredited decision".

( 24) (1884) Unrep. cited in 26 L.R. IR. at

428, 36(1) Digest (Reissue) 310.

(2 5) (1890) 26 L.R. IR 428, 36(1) Digest

(Reissue) 310.

( 2 6 )

Whitmore -v- Auto Transportes

Julia

SA, Queen's Bench Division, unre-

ported, (Transcript: Baxter &

McCarthy), 4 May, 1984 Comyn J.

(27) Brooks -v- Wessex Regional

Health

Authority,

Queen's Bench Division,

unreported, (Transcript: W H Clark),

1 May, 1984 Michael Davies J.

(2 8) [1982] I.L.R.M. 48.

( 2 9) [1978] ILRM 136, High Court, Kenny

J, 18 July, 1978.

(30)

Gait -v- British

Railways

Board,

Queen's Bench Division, 133 N.L.J.

870, (Transcript: Haswell), 19 May

1983.

(31) Ibrahim (a minor) -v-

Muhammad;

Ibrahim and another -v-

Muhammad,

Queen's Bench Division, unreported,

(Transcript:Marten Walsh Cherer), 21

May 1984.

(32) Kraij and anotehr -v- McGrath

and

anotehr.

Queen's Bench Division,

[1986] 1 All E.R. 54, 27 June 1985.

( 33) McMahon & Binchy, Irish Law of Torts

(1981), treats this as a separate tort.

( 34) [1899] A.C. 86.

(3 5) [1919] 2 K.B. 316.

( 36) (1860) 5 H. & N. 534 Analysed in

McGregor, Damages, 14th Edition,

paragraph 146.

( 3 7) [1901] 2 K.B. 669.

( 3 8 )

Hambrook -v- Stoke Brothers

[1925]

1 K.B. 141

Ibrahim (a minor) -v-

Muhammed

(supra), Stevenson -v-

Basham

[1922] N.Z.L.R. 225;

Whitmore -v- Auto Transportes Julia

(supra); Boardman

-v-

Sanderson

[1964] 1 W.L.R. 1317;

Him -v- Berry

[1970] 2 Q.B. 40.

(39)

Gait -v- British Railways

(supra).

( 40) [1939] 1 K.B. 394.

(41) Chadwick -v- British Transport Com-

mission,

Queen's Bench Division

[1967] 1 All E.R. 945, [1967] 1W.L.R.

912, 5 I.L.R. 101, 12 May 1967 and

Wigg -v- British

Railways

Board,

Queen's Bench Division, 136 N.L.J.

446, The Times 4 February 1986

(Transcript: Palantype), 31 January

1986.

(4 2)

Benson -v- Lee

[1972] V.R. 897. For

a contrary decision see

Chester -v-

Waverley Municipal Council

(1939) 62

C.L.R. 1 where a child fell into a trench

and his mother in the course of a

search came across his dead body.

The dissenting judgment of Evatt J.

in this case is the one that is generally

preferred.

( 43)

Abramzik -v- Brenner

(1967) 54 D.L.R.

(2d) 639 and 65 D.L.R. (2d) 651.