Risk and Uncertainties in Tort and Insurance Law
undefined
Risk and uncertainties in
the law of tort and
insurance
By prof. Herman
Cousy
KU Leuven University
(Belgium)
“The message is that there are known knowns.
There are things we know that we know.
There are known unknowns. That is to say
there are things that we now know we don’t
know.
But there are also unknown unknowns. These
are things we do not know we don’t know. And
each year we discover a few more of those
unknown unknowns.”
D. Rumsfeld
R
ISK
SOCIETY
•
Uwe
Beck
“Risikogesellschaft”
•
Denis
Kessler
“L’ère de la vulnérabilité”
•
Luc
Ferry
“De la peur comme passion démocratique: vers la
société de risque”
•
Orio
Giarini
“Industrial revolution: scarcity
Post-industrial era: uncertainty”
R
IKS
AND
UNCERTAINTIES
•
Massive impact
•
Serial impact
•
Catastophic risks
•
Virtual risks
•
Potential/uncertain risks
Frank
Knight
Risk, Uncertainty and Profit, Boston 1921
P
OUVOIR
versus
SAVOIR
Wissenschaft und Technik
Wissenschaft versus Technik
P
RECAUTION
AS
A
METHOD
OF
SCIENTIFIC
THOUGHT
Discrepancy between « pouvoir » and « savoir » (F. EWALD)
Aristoteles:
Sophia v. phronesis
Descartes:
natura rerum
G. Vico:
prudentia
Enlightment:
savoir = pouvoir
Postmodern:
nova prudentia
« precaution »
P
RECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE
L
EGAL
GROUNDS
« Where there are threats of serious or
irreversible damage, lack of full scientific
certainty shall not be used as a reason for
postponing cost-effective measures to prevent
environmental degradation»
Principle 15 of the Declaration of the Rio Conference on the Environment
and Development (1992)
P
RECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE
L
EGAL
GROUNDS
«
Community policy on the environment
shall aim at
a high level of protection taking into account the
diversity of situations in the various regions of the
Community.
It shall be based on the precautionary
principle and the principles that preventive action
should be taken, that environmental protection
should as a priority be rectified at source and the
polluter should pay. »
Presently Art. 191, par. 2, TFEU
S
UMMARY
1. Elements
o
threat of serious or irreversible damage
o
lack of full scientific certainty
o
no reason for postponing measures
o
that are cost effective
2. Evolution
o
Umweltschutz
Gesundheitsschutz
Arbeitsschutz
o
Environment
Health (human, animal, plant)
Food
chain
R
ADICAL
CRITICISMS
Jean
Dupuis
Pour un catastrophisme éclairé.
Quand l’impossible est certain.
Ed. Seuil Points, 2004
B.
Delanoy
“Le cas vraiment incertain, c’est évidemment
lorsqu’on ne sait pas qu’on ne sait pas”
(Futuribles, 2003, 54)
T
HE
PRECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE
S
UBSTANTIVE
NOVELTY
P
RECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE
P
RECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE
P
RECAUTIONARY
PRINCIPLE
P
RECAUTION
AS
ILLUSTRATION
OF
THE
“
POSTMODERN
”
LAW
F
ORMAL
NOVELTY
1.
Addressee: decision makers
2.
General principle
3.
Open principle (Kantian maxim)
4.
Janus face (happy or grumpy)
P
RECAUTION
AND
SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
•
“Handle so dass die wirkungen deiner
Handlingen vertraglich sind mit der
Permanenz echten menschlichen Lebens
auf Erde”
Hans Jonas,
Das Prinzip Verantwortung
, 1979
P
RECAUTION
AS
A
CODE
OF
CONDUCT
K
OURILSKY
, Ph. &
V
INEY
, G., Le principe de
précaution
-
“Dans le doute, mets toute en
œ
uvre pour
agir au mieux”
-
The “ten commandments” of precaution
P
RECAUTION
AS
A
POLITICAL
MAXIM
•
« Risk governance », aspect of good governance in the
« risk society »
•
Encouraging precaution v. encouraging innovation
•
Information, transparency and participation
•
« Les dix commandements de la précaution »
(G. VINEY & Ph. KOURILSKY, Le principe de précaution)
P
RECAUTION
AND
TORT
LAW
A.
No relevance
B.
Full relevance
C.
Recuperation
Ph.
Kourilsky
& G.
Viney
,
Le principe de précaution
, Ed.
Odile
Jacob, 2000
D.
Influence of the idea of precaution
A.
Guégan
, “L’apport du principe de précaution au droit de la
responsabilité civile”, R.J.E. 2/2000, p. 147.
U
NCERTAINTY
AND
INSURANCE
1.
E
x
o
g
e
n
e
o
u
s
a
n
d
e
n
d
o
g
e
n
e
o
u
s
r
i
s
k
s
« L’assurance porte sur des risques exogènes, quand la démarche de
précaution concerne les risques endogènes (…). Ainsi pourrait-on définir la
précaution comme l’assurance des risques endogènes. »
(F. EWALD)
2.
T
h
e
c
o
v
e
r
a
g
e
o
f
d
e
v
e
l
o
p
m
e
n
t
r
i
s
k
s
i
n
l
i
a
b
i
l
i
t
y
i
n
s
u
r
a
n
c
e
3.
L
o
n
g
t
a
i
l
r
i
s
k
s
a
n
d
l
o
n
g
t
e
r
m
r
i
s
k
s
The « escape » of the insurer through the « claims made » clause
4.
A
r
t
i
f
i
c
i
a
l
u
n
c
e
r
t
a
i
n
t
y
.
L
i
m
i
t
e
d
o
r
n
o
a
c
c
e
s
s
t
o
g
e
n
e
t
i
c
i
n
f
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n
5.
N
e
e
d
f
o
r
i
n
n
o
v
a
t
i
v
e
a
p
p
r
o
a
c
h
e
s
P
RECAUTION
AND
THE
INSURANCE
CONTRACT
1.
Must the costs of precautionary measures, like of
prevention, rest on the insured, or, like measures of
mitigation (« mesures de sauvetage, de sauvegarde ou de
préservation ») be borne by the insurer?
(Cfr. Cass., 21 nov. 2000, GIE Transmanche construction c/ Axa
global risks et CUA, et le commentaire de L. MAYAUX, RGDA,
2003,
n°2)
2.
Under what conditions is the damage resulting from failure
to take precautionary measures, born by the liability
insurer? Does faulty failure to take precautionary
measures give rise to damages or to loss of right or
exclusion?
P
RECAUTION
IS
THE
PRUDENCE
OF
THE
PROMETHEAN
MAN
Exploring risk and uncertainties in tort and insurance law as analyzed by Prof. Herman Cousyku from Leuven University, Belgium. Delve into the intricate legal aspects and implications of managing and mitigating risks in these areas.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Risk and uncertainties in the law of tort and insurance By prof. Herman COUSY KU Leuven University (Belgium)
The message is that there are known knowns. There are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say there are things that we now know we don t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we do not know we don t know. And each year we discover a few more of those unknown unknowns. D. Rumsfeld
RISK SOCIETY Uwe BECK Risikogesellschaft Denis KESSLER L re de la vuln rabilit Luc FERRY De la peur comme passion d mocratique: vers la soci t de risque Orio GIARINI Industrial revolution: scarcity Post-industrial era: uncertainty
RIKS AND UNCERTAINTIES Massive impact Serial impact Catastophic risks Virtual risks Potential/uncertain risks Frank KNIGHT Risk, Uncertainty and Profit, Boston 1921
POUVOIR versus SAVOIR Wissenschaft und Technik Wissenschaft versus Technik
PRECAUTION AS A METHOD OF SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT Discrepancy between pouvoir and savoir (F. EWALD) Aristoteles: Descartes: G. Vico: Enlightment: Postmodern: Sophia v. phronesis natura rerum prudentia savoir = pouvoir nova prudentia precaution
PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE LEGAL GROUNDS Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation Principle 15 of the Declaration of the Rio Conference on the Environment and Development (1992)
PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE LEGAL GROUNDS Community policy on the environment shall aim at a high level of protection taking into account the diversity of situations in the various regions of the Community. It shall be based on the precautionary principle and the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental protection should as a priority be rectified at source and the polluter should pay. Presently Art. 191, par. 2, TFEU
SUMMARY 1. Elements o threat of serious or irreversible damage o lack of full scientific certainty o no reason for postponing measures o that are cost effective 2. Evolution o Umweltschutz Gesundheitsschutz Arbeitsschutz o Environment Health (human, animal, plant) Food chain
RADICAL CRITICISMS Jean DUPUIS Pour un catastrophisme clair . Quand l impossible est certain. Ed. Seuil Points, 2004 B. DELANOY Le cas vraiment incertain, c est videmment lorsqu on ne sait pas qu on ne sait pas (Futuribles, 2003, 54)
THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE SUBSTANTIVE NOVELTY
PRECAUTION AS ILLUSTRATION OF THE POSTMODERN LAW FORMAL NOVELTY 1. Addressee: decision makers 2. General principle 3. Open principle (Kantian maxim) 4. Janus face (happy or grumpy)
PRECAUTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Handle so dass die wirkungen deiner Handlingen vertraglich sind mit der Permanenz echten menschlichen Lebens auf Erde Hans Jonas, Das Prinzip Verantwortung, 1979
PRECAUTION AS A CODE OF CONDUCT KOURILSKY, Ph. & VINEY, G., Le principe de pr caution - Dans le doute, mets toute en uvre pour agir au mieux - The ten commandments of precaution
PRECAUTION AS A POLITICAL MAXIM Risk governance , aspect of good governance in the risk society Encouraging precaution v. encouraging innovation Information, transparency and participation Les dix commandements de la pr caution (G. VINEY & Ph. KOURILSKY, Le principe de pr caution)
PRECAUTION AND TORT LAW A. No relevance B. Full relevance C. Recuperation Ph. KOURILSKY & G. VINEY, Le principe de pr caution, Ed. Odile Jacob, 2000 D. Influence of the idea of precaution A. GU GAN, L apport du principe de pr caution au droit de la responsabilit civile , R.J.E. 2/2000, p. 147.
UNCERTAINTY AND INSURANCE 1. Exogeneous and endogeneous risks L assurance porte sur des risques exog nes, quand la d marche de pr caution concerne les risques endog nes ( ). Ainsi pourrait-on d finir la pr caution comme l assurance des risques endog nes. (F. EWALD) 2. The coverage of development risks in liability insurance 3. Long tail risks and long term risks The escape of the insurer through the claims made clause 4. Artificial uncertainty. Limited or no access to genetic information 5. Need for innovative approaches
PRECAUTION AND THE INSURANCE CONTRACT 1. Must the costs of precautionary measures, like of prevention, rest on the insured, or, like measures of mitigation ( mesures de sauvetage, de sauvegarde ou de pr servation ) be borne by the insurer? (Cfr. Cass., 21 nov. 2000, GIE Transmanche construction c/ Axa global risks et CUA, et le commentaire de L. MAYAUX, RGDA, 2003, n 2) 2. Under what conditions is the damage resulting from failure to take precautionary measures, born by the liability insurer? Does faulty failure to take precautionary measures give rise to damages or to loss of right or exclusion?
PRECAUTION IS THE PRUDENCE OF THE PROMETHEAN MAN
