We all have good intentions

摘要

Some years ago the fire brigade were called to extinguish a fire in south-east London. It is likely the scene was familiar to some of the officers present, since it was the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority's new fire-training facility. The firehouse was subsequently shut down. Litigation ensued. The fire authority sued the designers for negligence and claimed damages for the expected costs of correcting the facility and bringing it back into full operation. Ultimately the judge found that the designers had not been negligent because it was such a unique and innovative project. However, an interesting part of the judgment concerned whether the authority had any intention of carrying out remedial works.