Vicarious liability and conferred authority strict liability

Strict liability for the wrongdoing of another in tort is a difficult area of the law. There is no convincing justification as to why such liability is imposed. The circumstances in which such liability arises are unclear and there is confusion as to the forms of liability which might be pursued (vicarious liability or strict liability for breach of a non-delegable duty of care).2 In light of such difficulties, the case law has become a mass of unnecessary and obfuscating detail. But it is possible to find a way through the thicket.