Product liability · Guernsey
Find a product liability lawyer in Guernsey
Guernsey is a Crown Dependency with its own legislature, courts and body of law, so a claim over an unsafe or defective product follows a different route from England. Tell us what happened and we match you with an Advocate who handles these claims.
- Civil damages claims in contract or tort
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Product liability in Guernsey
A defective product claim under Guernsey law
If a defective or unsafe product has caused you injury, damaged your property or left you out of pocket, you may be able to bring a civil claim for damages in Guernsey. Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom: it is a Crown Dependency with its own legislature, courts and body of law, so the path to compensation is not identical to the English one. Claims of this kind are civil claims in contract or tort, and the time limits are governed by Guernsey’s own rules of prescription, which extinguish the right of action rather than merely barring the remedy. A product liability lawyer in Guernsey can explain how the law applies to your facts, which court is the right forum and how long you have. We match you with an Advocate who handles these claims.
Guernsey law in practice
How a product claim works in this Bailiwick
Guernsey sits outside the United Kingdom and runs its own courts and its own law, which applies across Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. These are the features that shape a claim over a defective product here rather than in England.
Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom
Guernsey is a Crown Dependency within the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which also comprises Alderney and Sark. It has its own legislature, the States of Deliberation, its own courts and its own body of law. Its private law is a mixed system: the core is Norman customary law, with English common law and English-style statute law grafted on over more than a century.
Where a damages claim is heard
Civil claims for damages arising in contract or tort fall within the jurisdiction of the Magistrate’s Court up to GBP 10,000, and otherwise before the Ordinary Court of the Royal Court, the Bailiwick’s principal superior court. In the Ordinary Court the judge determines law, procedure and costs, while the Jurats — elected lay members of the Court — are the judges of fact in civil cases.
Prescription, not limitation
Guernsey has no direct equivalent of the English law of limitation. It applies prescription, which does not merely bar the remedy but extinguishes the right of action, and which is a matter of substantive law rather than procedure. Bringing proceedings, and interrupting prescription, depends on a summons being handed to HM Sergeant for service on the defendant.
Who may act for you
Rights of audience belong to Advocates of the Royal Court, a fused profession that combines the roles performed by solicitors and barristers in England. Every Advocate is a member of the Guernsey Bar, is admitted by the Full Court and is an officer of the Royal Court. Non-advocate lawyers may practise Guernsey law only while employed or supervised by a firm of Advocates.
Costs, fees and funding
Court fees are prescribed by Rules, last amended with effect from 1 January 2026. Costs follow the event, but recoverable rates are capped by Guernsey’s Costs and Fees Rules at GBP 351 per hour for Advocates and GBP 235.17 for associates, so a successful party typically recovers roughly 60% to 70% of actual spend. Contingency and damages-based agreements are prohibited; third-party litigation funding is permitted.
Enforcing a judgment
Enforcement against Guernsey real property follows the customary procedure known as saisie, dealt with by the Royal Court sitting en Plaids d’Heritage, rather than the ordinary English-style methods of execution. For money claims, enforcement is carried out by HM Sheriff once judgment has been obtained, using methods such as an arrest of wages. Judgments prescribe after six years, or three years if obtained in default.
The country information on this page is drawn from official Guernsey sources — the Royal Court of Guernsey, the States of Guernsey and published Guernsey legal briefings — consulted in 2026.
- Appleby — The Legal and Court System in Guernsey
- Royal Court of Guernsey — Advocates of the Royal Court
- Royal Court of Guernsey — Legal Aid
- Royal Court of Guernsey — Appeals and time limits
- Collas Crill — Prescription in Guernsey
- Ferbrache & Farrell — Prescription and limitation: when should you bring a claim?
- Bedell Cristin — How Guernsey’s prescription rules differ from English limitation
- The Guernsey Bar
The problem
Why product claims in Guernsey confuse people
Most people assume the English rules apply. In Guernsey they do not, and the differences matter from the very first day.
You assume English law applies
Guernsey is not part of the United Kingdom. It has its own courts and its own body of law, so advice built on English limitation rules may not fit your situation at all.
The clock may already be running
Guernsey applies prescription, which extinguishes the right of action rather than simply barring the remedy. Waiting to see how an injury develops can quietly erode the time you have left.
You are unsure who can act
Only Advocates of the Royal Court have full rights of audience. That makes it hard to judge whether the person advising you can actually take your case to court in the Bailiwick.
How we help
Matched with the right Advocate, quickly
You describe the problem once; we identify the Guernsey practitioners whose work actually covers it.
Guernsey-qualified Advocates
We match you with Advocates of the Royal Court who are members of the Guernsey Bar, admitted by the Full Court and entitled to appear in the Bailiwick’s courts.
Civil claims in contract and tort
Whether your loss is framed as a breach of contract or as a tort claim for damages, we look for practitioners who handle that kind of civil litigation before the Guernsey courts.
Clarity on prescription
Your first conversation should establish when the cause of action accrued, whether knowledge affects the start date, and what steps interrupt prescription before it is too late.
Costs explained up front
Recoverable rates in Guernsey are capped, costs follow the event, and contingency or damages-based agreements are prohibited. We match you with an Advocate who will set out how funding works.
Other jurisdictions
Looking for advice elsewhere in Europe?
Guernsey law is its own system, and cross-border product cases often raise questions in more than one country. If your matter also touches another jurisdiction, we can look for specialists there too.
Common questions
Product liability in Guernsey: your questions
How long do I have to bring a product liability claim in Guernsey?
It depends on how the claim is framed. Contractual and tort claims, including negligence, prescribe six years from accrual of the cause of action, while personal injury and death claims prescribe three years from accrual or from the date of the claimant’s knowledge. Guernsey’s prescription extinguishes the right of action, so timing should be checked early.
Can a product liability lawyer in Guernsey act on a no-win, no-fee basis?
Contingency or success fee arrangements and damages-based agreements are prohibited under the Guernsey Bar Rules, so that model is not available. Third-party litigation funding is permitted. You should ask your Advocate how fees, court fees and the recoverable rates capped by Guernsey’s Costs and Fees Rules apply to your matter.
Which court in Guernsey would hear my claim?
The Magistrate’s Court deals with civil claims for debt and damages in contract and tort up to GBP 10,000. Larger or more complex matters go to the Ordinary Court of the Royal Court, where the judge decides law, procedure and costs and the Jurats decide the facts.
Do I need a Guernsey Advocate, or can an English solicitor handle it?
Full rights of audience belong to Advocates of the Royal Court, who are members of the Guernsey Bar and are admitted by the Full Court. Non-advocate lawyers may practise Guernsey law only while employed or supervised by a firm of Advocates, and must state the jurisdiction in which they are qualified.
Does Guernsey legal aid cover claims of this kind?
The Guernsey Legal Aid Service applies both a means test and a merits test, and legal aid is not available to companies or groups of people. Claims for damages for personal injury or medical negligence are among the areas commonly covered. A Green Form scheme also allows people of limited means to obtain initial advice from an Advocate.
If I lose, will I have to pay the other side’s costs?
Costs in Guernsey follow the event in the English manner, on either the recoverable or the indemnity basis. Recoverable rates are capped by the Costs and Fees Rules and are lower than rates actually charged, so a successful party typically recovers around 60% to 70% of its spend. A paying party may seek taxation within one month of being served with the bill.
Next step
Tell us about your product claim
Describe what happened, what harm you suffered and who you believe is responsible. We will match you free of charge with a Guernsey Advocate whose practice covers claims of this kind, so you can get a clear view of your position and the time you have left.