Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this book provides ready access to how the legal dimension of prevention against harm and loss allocation is treated in Belgium. This traditional branch of law not only tackles questions which concern every lawyer, whatever his legal expertise, but also concerns each person's most fundamental rights on a worldwide scale.
Following a general introduction that probes the distinction between tort and crime and the relationship between tort and contract, the monograph describes how the concepts of fault and unlawfulness, and of duty of care and negligence, are dealt with in both the legislature and the courts. The book then proceeds to cover specific cases of liability, such as professional liability, liability of public bodies, abuse of rights, injury to reputation and privacy, vicarious liability, liability of parents and teachers, liability for handicapped persons, product liability, environmental liability, and liability connected with road and traffic accidents. Principles of causation, grounds of justification, limitations on recovery, assessment of damages and compensation, and the role of private insurance and social security are all closely considered.
Its succinct yet scholarly nature, as well as the practical quality of the information it provides, make this book a valuable resource for lawyers Belgium. Academics and researchers will also welcome this very useful guide, and will appreciate its value not only as a contribution to comparative law but also as a stimulus to harmonization of the rules on tort.
Kruithof, Marc: -
Marc Kruithof was born on 25 April 1960 in Wilrijk (Antwerp), Belgium.
He studied at Ghent University in Belgium and obtained a Licentiate (nowadays called a Master's) in Law summa cum laude in 1983 and a Licentiate (nowadays called a Master's) in Economic Science magna cum laude in 1985. In 1986, he obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) from the Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. In 2009, he was awarded a PhD in Law by Ghent University with a dissertation on the legal (private law) and regulatory (public law) treatment of conflicts of interest financial institutions can face when providing investment services.
From 1988 until 1991, he was Assistant for commercial, economic and financial law at Ghent University Law School. From 1991 until 2011, he was Professor at Ghent University College, where he taught law courses for students in the academic bachelor and master programs in Commercial Sciences (Business Administration) and Public Administration and Non-profit Management. In 2002, he spent the spring quarter at the University of Chicago Law School as a Visiting Professor, where he taught a course on the Creation of the European Common Market. Since 2011, he has been full time Professor of Civil Liability (Torts) and Comparative Law at Ghent University Law School.
