In common law, what term describes a potential duty of care?

• A. Duty of care
• B. Statutory obligation
• C. Sovereignty
• D. Jurisdiction

Answer: (A)

In common law, the obligation to take reasonable care that could give rise to liability is called a duty of care. It describes the potential obligation between people in a negligence claim—the question is whether such a duty exists at all, before looking at whether it was breached. Courts assess this by considering factors like foreseeability of harm, the closeness of the relationship or proximity, and whether imposing a duty is fair, just, and reasonable. If a duty of care is found, the case then moves on to whether that duty was breached and what damages flowed from it. The other terms point to different ideas: a statutory obligation comes from legislation, sovereignty is about supreme political authority, and jurisdiction concerns which court has the power to hear a case.