Preface to the first edition

• Author: Philip H. Osborne
• Profession: Faculty of Law. The University of Manitoba
• Pages: 19-20

xix

PR EFACE

To the First Edition

This book has been written primar ily to assist students in Canadian

law schools to understand the e ssential pri nciples of the Canadian l aw

of torts and the social policies that support them. It does not seek to

categorize and organize t he multitude of Canadian tort c ases. It does

not explore the subtleties of exceptional case s. It does not delve into

f‌ine distinctions among relevant provincial statutes. It expla ins the

basic framework and nature of Can adian tort law from which a more

advanced study of the law may proceed.

I am mindful of the fact t hat in most Canadia n law schools the law

of torts is a f‌irst-year course. I have, therefore, tr ied to make the law ac-

cessible to someone coming to the subject for the f‌irst time. I have also

included an extensive glossar y. A happy consequence of this is th at the

book may have some appeal to members of the public who seek some

understanding of this fascinating corner of Canadian l aw. I also hope

that the book will hold some interest for members of the practising bar,

if only as a reminder of the basic principles underlying judicial policie s

and current trends.

My attempt to f‌ind the path of reliable generality through the thicket

of tort cases and legislation has been assi sted by the works of all the

writers on Canad ian tort law who have gone before me. I am indebted

to them all.

I am most appreciative of the support I received from the Legal Re-

search Institute of the Universit y of Manitoba and its director, Professor

Alvin Esau. This allowed me to benef‌it from the f‌ine work done by my