SHOCK FOR SHOPKEEPERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 152, 30 June 1939, Page 6

SHOCK FOR SHOPKEEPERS.

Quito a number of British shopkeepers have reason to worry oxer the consequences of a legal ruling which -Judge Atkinson has just deli\ ered iii London. He decided that a shop keeper who sold a toy gun to a small bo,y was responsible for a subsequent accident— the pistol back-fired and a fragment of the cartridge case flew into the eye of another lad —and awarded CI 000 damages. The judge propounded the rule that if an article is sold which ;-dan:;crous in itself to su<*h a person as the buyer might he," the vendor owes a duty not only to the buyer but to all other persons reasonably liable to be placed in danger. There are a great many articles safe in the hands of adulfs that may he dangerous in the hands of chjldren, but no rules to prevent them be ins sold to children —pocket knives, airmails, and. above all..fireworks, are anion r the obvious. In order to obtain a small profit on such articles, the shopkeeper is incurring a risk — slight, perhaps, but still a risk, of being heavily mulcted in damages. He will cither exercise much greater care than hitherto or ensure against possible damages. or. both.. There is no doubt, however, that Mr. Justice Atkinson's ruling, establishing, as it does, an interesting and important legal precedent, will be much debated in legal circles.