Judges plead: “End culture of blame”

The message has been reinforced by Britain’s most senior judges. In August 2003, the five law lords on the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords ruled that individuals must take responsibility for their own actions, and called for an end to the “culture of blame and compensation.” This followed a claim by a man who was paralysed after diving in to a lake at a country park, despite warning signs. He sued two local authorities for not preventing him diving into the lake, but while acknowledging his personal “terrible tragedy,” the judges unanimously ruled against him.