Essay Flashcards

An Establishment of Arts and Trades run by the State conducts a woodworking class in a shop for apprentices. The class is supervised by a Teacher who also acts as foreman. The Head of Establishments oversees safety standards. During a session, the Teacher briefly leaves the workshop to fetch replacement saw blades, leaving a group of apprentices unsupervised. Apprentice A, under supervision but without direct instruction, operates a circular saw with its safety guards removed due to a jam, and a fragment injures a bystander B standing near the entrance. In a concise essay, answer: (a) Identify the governing doctrine governing civil liability of a school and its employees for damages caused by pupils or apprentices under supervision in an Establishment of Arts and Trades. (b) Distinguish the school’s vicarious liability from the supervising Teacher’s personal liability, explaining the scope-of-authority test and when each may attach. (c) Apply to the facts: who is liable, to what extent, and what defenses, if any, are available.