The Policy/Operational Dichotomy—A Cuckoo In The Nest

In the case of Anns v. Merton London Borough Council,1 Lord Wilberforce, in considering the negligence liability of a local authority arising out of the exercise of its statutory powers to inspect buildings under construction, drew a distinction between the “policy” and “operational” aspects of the authority's functions and suggested that liability would more readily arise in respect of the latter. Since that time it has become common to consider the liability of public authorities generally in the tort of negligence by reference to this “policy/operational” dichotomy.