'This House has Seen the Collapse of Principle in the Tort of Negligence'

The popular law lord, Lord Hoffmann, moderated a debate organised by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law's Tort Law Centre on 29 March 2006 which took place before a packed audience of judges, distinguished practitioners and academics.

The debaters were drawn from senior members of the Bar. Supporting the motion were:

Martin Spencer QC (Hailsham Chambers); Elizabeth Gumbel QC (1 Crown Office Row); and Andrew Edis QC (Atlantic Chambers).

Opposing the motion were:

Nicholas Davidson QC (4 New Square), Guy Mansfield QC (1 Crown Office Row), Susan Rodway QC (39 Essex Street).

A panel of debate judges, led by Mr Justice Jackson, included Laura Hoyano (Wadham College, Oxford), Ken Oliphant (University of Cardiff), Roderick Bagshaw (Magdalene College, Oxford), and Robert Stevens, (LMH, Oxford).

Such was the popularity of the event that the debate was filmed and relayed to another room in the Institute, again packed with delegates.

After lively speeches by the debaters, incisive comments by the debate judges and questions from the audience, the motion was put to the assembled audience and the "no's" prevailed.

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