The Law of Torts by Philip Osborne is an indispensable resource for practitioners, judges, and students seeking a concise and accessible introduction to the principles of tort law in Canada, as well as the social policies underlying the law and current trends in judicial decision making. The book reviews the foundations, characteristics, and objectives of tort law with specific discussion of negligence, intentional torts, strict liability, vicarious liability, nuisance, and defamation. It explains the relationships between tort law and other branches of private law, including contract law and restitution, and between tort law and public law, particularly the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The fifth edition incorporates significant developments in the law including the recognition of a limited common law tort of privacy, the restatement of the elements of private nuisance, and the clarification of the tort of intentional interference with economic interests by unlawful means. The book also discusses new initiatives in the areas of historic pollution, casino liability to problem gamblers, interference with computer systems, and cyber-defamation.