Causation in tort law: Back to basics at the Supreme Court of Canada

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • McInnes, Mitchell

• This article analyzes the role of causation in Canadian tort law. The author uses the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision of Athey v. Leonati as a model to show how even complex problems of causation can be solved through the application of fundamental principles of tort law: the \"restoration\" principle, the \"take your victim\" principle, and the \"vicissitudes\" principle. The author also demonstrates the importance of distinguishing types of causes based on the following dichotomies: tortious and non-tortious, sufficient and insufficient, and simultaneous and successive. The author argues that applying these principles, and distinguishing causes in this manner, will greatly simplify the resolution of even seemingly complex problems of causation in tort law. | L 'auteur analyse le rdle de la causalitd dans les r~gles de droit applicables aux prijudices au Canada. 11 utilise la d&cision ricente de la Cour supreme du Canada dans Athey c. Leonati pour montrer comment risoudre des problmes de causalitd complexes 6t l'aide de certains principes fondamentaux : le principe de rdtablissement [i Ia situation originale], le principe de Ia vulndrabiliti de la victime et le principe des vicissitudes. L 'auteur dmontre qu 'il est important de distinguer les cas d 'apr~s les dichotomies suivantes : prijudiciable et non prdjudiciable, suffisant et insuffisant, simultang et successif II soutient que l'application de ces principes et de ces distinctions simplifie considirablement la risolution de probldmes de causalitd qui semblent pourtant tris complexes dans ce domaine du droit.

• Date created

  1996

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Causation (Criminal Law)--Canada
  • Causation in Fact--Canada
  • Negligence--Canada

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3901ZW46

• License

  © 1996 Mitchell McInnes et al. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.