Week 5: The case of Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562

Introduction

The case of Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 is a famous Scottish case. It is known worldwide and has had a significant impact on the law of delict in Scotland and the law of negligence in England, Wales and other jurisdictions.

You read a number of extracts from the case to consider how judicial reasoning works in practice. You also think about the role played by logical reasoning in legal reasoning and the extra-legal factors that contribute to judicial decisions.

After this week of study you should be able to:

• explain the decision in Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562
• outline the reasoning used to reach the decision
• explain the ‘neighbour’ principle as outlined by Lord Atkin.