Open AccessThe Guts of a Torts Class
Author(s) -
Graeme W. Austin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
victoria university of wellington law review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1179-3082
pISSN - 1171-042X
DOI - 10.26686/vuwlr.v46i3.4903
Subject(s) - tribute , law , tort , conscience , obligation , craft , socratic method , class (philosophy) , sociology , political science , philosophy , art , visual arts , epistemology , liability
As a tribute to Professor Bill Atkin's unswerving dedication to the teaching of the law of torts, this article makes a few personal observations about tort law teaching at Victoria University of Wellington. The article's focus is the craft of so-called Socratic teaching, which, broadly described, involves inviting students to participate in classroom dialogue that scrutinises the quality of judicial reasoning. The article links that endeavour to the Law School’s obligation to act as a conscience and critic of society, and to its commitment to inculcate values associated with the rule of law.