An Analysis of the Economic Torts

The economic torts define unfair competition and the limits of lawful industrial action. This book offers a thorough analysis of all the economic torts in order to provide a framework for their scope and development.

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The economic torts provide the common law rules on liability for the infliction of pure economic loss. They include the torts of conspiracy, inducing breach of contract, intimidation, unlawful interference with trade, deceit and malicious falsehood. These torts represent the common law's attempt to balance the need to protect claimants against those who inflict economic harm and the wider need to allow effective, even aggressive, competition (including competition between employers and their workers). Given their controversial setting it is hardly surprising to discover that this area of tort law is confused and confusing, with the limits of liability imprecise. Hazel Carty's book creates order out of chaos by offering a thorough analysis of all the economic torts in order to provide a framework for their scope and development. Such a comprehensive analysis has not been undertaken since Heydon's work in 1978. What is revealed is an approach to the economic torts that breaks with the traditional analysis to underline the interconnections and differences between these torts that have been overlooked in the past.
The overall aim of this book is to provide a text that is both intellectually satisfying to the tort scholar and of practical worth to the practitioner.