Wilkinson v Law Courts Ltd

The appellant, Wilkinson, brought proceedings against the respondent, Law Courts Ltd, alleging negligence. The dispute concerned injuries sustained by the appellant when she fell down external steps leading to the respondent's building. The matter was heard in the Court of Appeal of New South Wales.

The central legal issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the respondent, as the occupier of the public building, had breached its duty of care to the appellant. This involved considering whether the dimensions of the steps, the absence of hand-rails, edge-delineation strips, and warning signs constituted a breach of that duty.

The Court of Appeal found that the respondent had not breached its duty of care. The judges reasoned that the steps, while lacking certain safety features, were not inherently dangerous. The dimensions of the steps were found to be standard, and the absence of hand-rails, edge-delineation, and warning signs did not, in the circumstances, render the steps unsafe. The court applied principles of negligence, focusing on the standard of care expected of an occupier towards lawful visitors, and concluded that the respondent had met that standard.

The appeal was dismissed, and the appellant was ordered to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal.