Czy „Król może czynić źle”? Odpowiedzialność cywilna za wykonywanie władzy publicznej w prawie angielskim

Abstract

The principle of state liability has been widely recognised in 20th century and codified in certain jurisdictions. English law, however, has been traditionally reluctant to recognise the liability of Crown distinct from the of its servants. According to the long-standing principle of rule of law, servants of the Crown should be liable for torts committed in their official capacity just as individuals. The principle has been allegedly designed to protect the individuals from arbitrary decisions of public authorities, which fall in their actions under jurisdiction of common courts. It was not until the advance of Crown Proceedings Act 1974 when the Crown took material liability for torts committed by its servants. The nature of tortious liability of the public bodies, however, remained peculiar. The aim of this article is to indicate that the underlying concept of individual liability of servants, once designed to protect the individuals, now restricts the scope of civil liability of public bodies in English law.