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06 August 2021 / Vijay Ganapathy
Issue: 7944 / Categories: Features , Personal injury
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Tort: a new landscape?

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Vijay Ganapathy considers the future significance of recent cases in tort on foreseeability, quantum & withdrawal of Part 36 offers
  • Begum v Maran (UK) Ltd: foreseeability and liability for overseas activities.
  • Head v Culver Heating Co Ltd: quantum
  • Wormald v Ahmed: settlements and limitations of Part 36 offers:

During lockdown the courts have continued to consider and hand down judgments in cases which are likely significantly to alter the future landscape in many areas of tort.

An example is Begum v Maran (UK) Ltd [2021] EWCA Civ 326, where the claimant (B) issued proceedings following the tragic death of her husband, MD Khalil Mollah (K). K suffered a fall while involved in dismantling a decommissioned ship, the Maran Centaurus (MC), at a shipbreaking yard in Chattogram, Bangladesh.

The International Labour Organisation has described shipbreaking as ‘one of the most dangerous jobs in the world’. The court heard that unskilled workers employed in their thousands are exposed to both physical and chemical hazards (many

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Taylor Rose—Jessica Draganescu & Emily Hewlett

Taylor Rose—Jessica Draganescu & Emily Hewlett

Firm strengthens growth strategy and group litigation capability with senior hires

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Farrer & Co—Richard Lane

Londstanding London firm appoints new senior partner

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Bird & Bird—Sue McLean

Commercial team in London welcomes technology specialist as partner

NEWS
The legal profession’s claim to be a ‘guardian of fairness’ is under scrutiny after stark findings on gender imbalance and opaque progression. Writing in NLJ this week, Joshua Purser of No5 Barristers’ Chambers and Govindi Deerasinghe of Global 50/50 warn that leadership remains dominated by a narrow elite, with men holding 71% of top court roles
A legal challenge to police disclosure rules has failed, reinforcing a push for transparency in policing. In NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth examines a case where the Metropolitan Police required officers to declare membership of groups like the Freemasons
Bereavement leave is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. Writing in NLJ this week, Robert Hargreaves of York St John University explains how the Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces a day-one right to leave for a wider range of losses, alongside new provisions for pregnancy loss and bereaved partners
Courts are beginning to grapple with whether AI-generated material is legally privileged—and the answers are mixed. In this week's issue of NLJ, Stacie Bourton, Tom Whittaker & Beata Kolodziej of Burges Salmon examine US rulings showing how easily privilege can be lost
New guidance seeks to bring order to the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Minesh Tanna and David Bridge of Simmons & Simmons set out a framework stressing ‘transparency’, ‘explainability’ and ‘reliability’
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