“Outcome responsibility serves to foster a sense of identity because it does not stretch indefinitely into the future but enables each of us to claim for ourselves, or to share with a few others, outcomes of limited extent, whether successes or failures. Yet outcome responsibility for harm to another does not by itself create a duty to compensate. The form that our responsibility for an outcome should take remains an open question. An apology or telephone call will often be enough. But outcome responsibility is a basis on which the law can erect a duty to compensate if there is reason to do so. There will be some reason to do so if the conduct in question is socially undesirable and if there is also reason to treat the harm suffered as the infringement of a right.” Tony Honoré, Responsibility and Fault 77–78 (1999).
outcome responsibility
outcome responsibility. The view that those who cause harm are responsible for it even in the absence of fault. Cf. strict liability under LIABILITY.
