Occupiers Liability Essay

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The Occupiers Liability Act 1995 did not effectively reform the pre-existing law on Occupier Liability. Critically Discuss. This various topic’s which will be touched upon in the following analysis are the pre-existing law on occupier’s liabity before the Occupiers Liability Act 1995, the law after the act was enacted and finally effectivness of the reforms. “Occupiers liability requires that the person (an individual, an organisation) in possession of premises owes a duty of care to those who come on the premises and must take reasonable care to protect them from harm that might come through their programs, on their premises or at the hands of a third party on the premises”. Before dealing with the Occupier’s Liability Act 1995, the law prior to this act must first be examined. This previous law dates back to 1867 to common law and the decision of Invermaur v Dames. In this case the plaintiff was present on the defendant's premises to examine a gas regulator which had been installed by the plaintiff’s superior, during the visit the plaintiff accidentally fell through a unfenced shaft in the floor. As a consequence of the fall, the plaintiff suffered injuries and sued the defendant occupier for damages for which he was successful. This case established three categories of entrance to land, and later a forth was added. They were contractual entrants, invitees, licensees and lastly trespassers. The emphasis was now placed on which legal category the entrant now fell and opposed to the more problamatic approach based upon the individual facts of each case. The first of these categories of entrants which will be examined is contractual entrants. This is where a person enters a premises on the basis that a contract exists between them and the occupier of the premises. The duty of care is determined by the terms of the contract and if they are absent, then

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