Police

The claimants were the family and estate of a murdered woman. The claimants had issued proceedings against two police forces in negligence and a failure to protect life in breach of Art 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Court of Appeal, Civil Division had granted summary judgment on the claim in negligence and had allowed the Art 2 claim to proceed. The Supreme Court upheld that decision and confirmed that there was no exception to the ordinary application of common law principles to provide protection for victims of domestic violence and/or to extend the common law in harmony with the obligations of the police under Arts 2 and 3 of the Convention. Further, the Art 2 claim involved questions of fact that should properly be determined at trial.