Assumption of Responsibility: Even without a pre-existing relationship, you may assume responsibility for someone through your actions. In CN v Poole BC [2019] UKSC 25, the Supreme Court discussed the circumstances in which an assumption of responsibility arises. One common scenario occurs when a person makes a negligent statement upon which another person relies. So, if you shouted to the drowning person that you were running to get help, causing them to stop attempting to swim to shore, but you were actually just running away, you may have assumed responsibility through my statement. Do you think this is fair?

Creation of a Dangerous Situation and Control: A person will be liable for an omission if they have created a dangerous situation and failed to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to others. This principle often applies to rescuers. In Ogwo v Taylor [1988] AC 431, a homeowner negligently started a house fire. The court held that they owed a duty of care to the firefighters who attended the scene to extinguish the fire and suffered burns. Similarly, if a person has physical control over a person, animal, or dangerous substance, and it escapes, they will owe a duty of care to those who would foreseeably be harmed. In Home Office v Dorset Yacht Co [1970] AC 1004, seven borstal trainees (young offenders) were unsupervised by their custodians. The trainees escaped and stole a yacht to flee the island. The custodians were held liable for the damage to the yacht during the escape because they had control over the trainees and failed to exercise proper supervision. Why do you think this rule was decided? Do you agree with this rule?

Interference and Good Samaritan Rule: As Lord Reed noted in the Poole case, while there is no general duty of care to make a situation better, there is a duty not to make it worse. Where you interfere in a dangerous situation and your intervention makes matters worse, you may be liable. However, the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 may provide some protection. If your negligent act occurred while intervening heroically in an emergency to assist an individual in danger, the court must consider this context when determining liability. Despite this, the Act is incredibly brief and somewhat vague in its provisions. It was only first applied by the courts in 2025, a full decade after it was passed. So, the law is a bit unclear in this area.

https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:050365c5-a43f-41a8-b133-f8a077b648c6/files/m01c552691fb82c1dd4bf9509bd9478fe

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-2230.12952

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg1nl23337o

🌊 Giants of the Deep: Why are some of the ocean’s strangest residents also its biggest? In this fascinating BBC Wildlife feature, Ben Hoare explores how scarce food, freezing temperatures, and ultra-slow metabolisms help explain the enormous size of creatures like the colossal squid and Greenland shark. From van-sized sponges to 500-year-old sharks, it’s a mind-blowing dive into life in Earth’s largest—and least understood—habitat. A must-read if you’re into Biology.

🦠 Why Superbugs Thrive in Hospitals: Hospitals are meant to heal, yet they can also be hotspots for dangerous infections. In this article, you can learn how hospital-acquired infections spread, why antibiotic resistance is making them harder to treat, and what’s being done to prevent outbreaks—from stricter hygiene to smarter antibiotic use. A cool read if you like Medicine.

🍫 History of Chocolate: In this podcast episode, you can follow chocolate’s remarkable journey: from its roots in ancient American civilisations to a journalist uncovering the realities of cocoa production, and a modern-day doctor reflecting on his childhood growing up on a cocoa farm. Great if you’re into History, Anthropology, or Geography!

Wednesday 18th February

Friday 20th February

Monday 23rd February