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May 10, 1967 Insurance — Employer's liability — Breach by brokers of contract to obtain employer's liability insurance — Damage flowing — Condition precedent in form of policy envisaged that employers should take reasonable precautions to prevent accidents — Accident to employee — Negligence and breach of statutory duty to fence dangerous machine established against employers — Risk not appreciated by employers — Whether employers would have been indemnified by insurers — “Reasonable precautions” — Whether necessary to establish their legal liability to do so — Whether probability of payment as matter of business policy sufficient.

March 14, 1968 Building — Safety regulations — Application — Painters engaged in cleaning and dusting prior to painting — Fall from unlashed ladder — Breach of regulation 29(4), if regulations applicable — Whether dusting included in operation of “redecoration” — Building (Safety, Health and Welfare) Regulations, 1948 (S.I. 1948, No.1145), reg.2(1).

We can think of those with a cynical turn of mind who might consider not a little of the present output of the parliamentary machine as “harem scarem” law, but the indecent haste, the freak urgency of some politically inspired laws apart, it is only too obvious that law is being made under rush conditions, and the reasons are not far to seek. A hectic, over‐active party executive, feverishly pushing ahead with its policies produces impossible working conditions for the parliamentary draftsmen. Law, whether it is statute or regulation, has never been more complex than it is today; time allowed for parliamentary debate is completely inadequate; too many and varied interests have to be taken into account, to say nothing of the vast range of delegated legislation. The urgency of some legislation is doubtful; it is difficult to see the need for all the hurry; a little more time in proper debate would prevent some of the loopholes which subsequently appear and render the law more comprehensible; incomprehensibility and justice are rarely compatible. As Diplock L J., said in the Court of Appeal in Rex. v. Industrial Injuries Commissioner ex parte Cable (1968) 1 A.E.R., 9, a few months ago—“Judges have been at their wits' end to know what some of the provisions mean. It would be a good thing if time could be found to remedy the blemishes.”

The Equal Pay Act 1970 (which came into operation on 29 December 1975) provides for an “equality clause” to be written into all contracts of employment. S.1(2) (a) of the 1970 Act (which has been amended by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975) provides:

Knight's Industrial Law Reports goes into a new style and format as Managerial Law This issue of KILR is restyled Managerial Law and it now appears on a continuous updating basis rather than as a monthly routine affair.

March 13, 1968 Damages — Personal injuries — Quantum — Sense of smell, loss of — Appropriate sum.

March 7, 1967 Master and Servant — Dismissal — Redundancy — Sale of premises used for manufacturing by first employers to second employers for conversion — Employment by second employers for only 101 weeks — Whether successive periods of employment continuous — Whether “business … transferred” to second employers — Whether “change … in … ownership of … business” — “Business” — “Activity” — Contracts of Employment Act, 1963 (c.49), Sch. l, para.l0(l)(2) — Redundancy Payments Act, 1965 (c.62), ss.l(l), 8, 13(1), 25(1).

March 12, 1968 Factory — “Lifting machine” — Push button control — Workman operating crane thereby, ruptured thumb — Stiff buttons assumed to be faulty control — Stiffness caused by fault in electrical circuit — Whether part of lifting machine — Factories Act, 1961 (9 & 10 Eliz.II,c.34), s.27(1).

February 5, 1969 Damages — Personal injuries — Assessment — Pension — Compulsory contribution — Police pension fund — Policeman disabled in accident — Assessment of lost earnings and pension rights — Whether pension deductible.