Court Opinion

ID: 9684675
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 14:08:00.812127+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:58.731306
License: Public Domain

Conley Byrd, Justice, concurring. I concur in the result but I do not want the bar nor the public to believe that I am in favor of legislating on. the question of “strict liability.” The legislature has enacted the Uniform Commercial Code in which a great deal of consideration was given to “Product Liability.” Article 4 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas provided for three distinct departments of government — i.e. legislative, executive and judicial. Section 2 thereof provides: “No person, or collection of persons, being one of these departments, shall exercise any power belonging to either of the others. . .” The oath of office prescribed by Article 19 Sec. 20, and which I took, requires that I support the Constitution of the State of Arkansas. Consequently I cannot support judicial legislation on the subject of “strict liability” and will not do so no matter how many times the court rules to the contrary on the subject. If the public wants every manufacturer, producer or processor, irrespective of size or volume, to be subject to “strict liability,” it should apply to the General Assembly — where all those with opposing views will have an opportunity to be heard. For the reasons stated, I respectfully concur.