Author:	Shane Bawden
Subjects:	Law - study and teaching - Australia (Other articles) Torts Australia (Other articles)
Issue:	Volume 6, Number 4 (December 1999)
Category:	Current Developments

1. As I look back, one of the difficulties of first year legal studies is the extent to which students need to develop skills that will see them through the many years of study that lie ahead. From personal experience, the amount of reading can be overwhelming, and raises more questions than it does answers, however, fortunately for students there is help available.
2. The study of Torts is demanding as it introduces first year students to case based law and offers a foray into the principles that have developed as part of tort law. This torts tutorial volume provides a guiding approach to the development of the necessary skills students need in reading and analysing case law.
3. The author, Martin Davies, provides easy to read chapters that enable students to see how a particular tort has developed in Australia and the law is applied in this country. An excellent introduction establishes how how to read, analyse, and adopt a problem solving approach in the area of torts.
4. Each chapter introduces how a particular tort has developed, followed by cases that develop a further understanding of that area of tort. At the end of each chapter, is a problem that relates to that area of tort followed by further tutorial discussion questions to use as an independant learning tool or as part of tutorial discussions.
5. Davies' approach takes the student from 'Standard of Care' through to 'Defences and Remedies in Intentional Torts'. Each chapter is as Davies indicates in the preface quite capable of standing alone. On a personal note the stand alone ability of each chapter was useful, as my course did not always mirror the order in which Davies presented each chapter. The stand-alone capability of the chapters allowed for easy reference to a particular area of tort without the need to thumb through different chapters to obtain the necessary information.
6. Overall, Davies' book is useful in enabling students to develop a basis for understanding the concepts of the law of torts. This volume should, be used in conjunction with a more detailed Australian text such as the Luntz & Hambly casebook[1]. Students would also be wise to access CD-ROM and online databases to examine unreported cases in more detail.
7. Students will find towards exam time the problems at the end of each chapter and the revision chapter at the end of Davies indispensable as part of their preparations towards exams.
8. If you desire a clear explanation to the concepts of the law of Torts then this book is for you..

  [1]  Luntz and Hambly Torts Cases and Commentary (4th ed). (1995) Butterworths: Sydney.