Law

THE SUPREME COURT ON VICARIOUS LIABILITY. HAVE WE REACHED THE FINAL DESTINATION?

ABOUT THE SESSION

On 1 April 2020, the Supreme Court handed down its judgments in two highly important cases for employers and the insurance industry: Various Claimants v Barclays Bank and Various Claimants v Morrisons. The Court of Appeal had held Barclays to be vicariously liable for the actions of an independent contractor and Morrisons liable for a major data breach committed by a rogue employee who was subsequently sentenced to prison. The Supreme Court has overturned both decisions. In recent years, the law relating to vicarious liability has been in constant motion. What did the Supreme Court say in the Barclays and Morrisons judgments and how will this impact employers and insurance companies? Have we finally got some certainty in this area of law?

This thought-provoking session will look at both sides of the argument and assess how best employers and the insurance industry can adapt to these recent developments.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

Understand how the law relating to vicarious liability has developed.

Critically analyse recent decisions of the court of appeal and Supreme Court.

Assess how employers and the insurance industry can adapt their practices to ensure the best outcome possible in light of recent decisions.

Session Length:  1 hour