Did you know that almost 70% of CLAT tort law questions in the last five years (2021–2025) came from just three core principles? While tort law as a subject is vast, a closer look at CLAT previous year papers shows that Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability dominate the section. For CLAT 2026 aspirants, this means focusing strategically on these three areas can help you maximize your score without spreading yourself too thin.
CLAT Tort Law Question Trends (2021–2025)
Analysis of the past five CLAT exams reveals a clear pattern: every year, one or two passages are consistently drawn from tort law. Within this, most questions revolve around the same recurring principles.
From this breakdown, it becomes clear that Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability alone make up nearly 70% of all tort law questions. Other principles like Nuisance, Vicarious Liability, and Trespass appear occasionally but with much lower weightage.
Negligence
Negligence is the most frequently tested principle in CLAT tort law. It revolves around the breach of a duty of care that results in harm to another person. Typical scenarios include road accidents or medical malpractice. For example, a doctor leaving a surgical tool inside a patient’s body is a classic case of negligence. In CLAT, negligence-based passages are extremely popular because they mimic real-life situations and test whether students can apply the principle correctly. Over the last five years, negligence has accounted for roughly 23% of all tort law questions.
Defamation
Defamation is another recurring theme, contributing around 22% of tort questions between 2021 and 2025. It deals with false statements that damage someone’s reputation, whether spoken (slander) or written (libel). A common example is when a newspaper falsely accuses a politician of corruption. CLAT uses such cases to test whether candidates understand the balance between freedom of speech and protection of reputation. These questions are often linked with current affairs or media-related contexts, making them especially important for aspirants to master.
Strict Liability
Strict liability is a principle where a person is held liable for harm caused by their actions even without negligence or intention. It usually applies to hazardous activities like storing toxic chemicals or keeping dangerous animals. For instance, if a gas leak occurs despite the owner taking precautions, strict liability still applies. In CLAT 2025, this principle appeared prominently, making up 35% of the tort questions. On average, it contributes about 25% of the weightage in recent years, proving that it is a must-cover topic.
Other Tort Principles with Lower Weightage
While the “big three” dominate, a few other tort concepts occasionally appear in CLAT. Nuisance, which deals with interference like factory noise disturbing neighbors, has appeared rarely. Vicarious liability, where an employer is held responsible for the actions of an employee, has shown up once in the last five years. Trespass, involving unauthorized entry into land, also appears sporadically. Together, these principles account for less than 30% of tort law questions, making them secondary in importance but still worth a quick revision.
Read: CLAT Syllabus 2026
How to Master 70% of CLAT Tort Questions with Smart Preparation?
If you’re preparing for CLAT 2026, the smartest strategy is to prioritize past year papers. Solve all tort-related passages from 2021 to 2025 and mark which principle each question is testing. You’ll immediately notice the dominance of Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability. Once you’ve identified these patterns, create short notes for each principle and prepare 15–20 fact-based scenarios for practice.
Remember, CLAT doesn’t test whether you can recite a definition—it tests whether you can apply the principle to a real-life situation. For example, negligence may appear as a hospital case, defamation as a news headline, and strict liability as an industrial accident.
A balanced approach would be to dedicate most of your time to these three high-yield areas while giving a quick revision to lesser-tested topics like nuisance, trespass, and vicarious liability. Revising your notes at least twice before the exam week will improve recall speed and accuracy during the test.
Final Takeaway
CLAT tort law may seem wide and unpredictable, but history shows otherwise. By focusing on Negligence, Defamation, and Strict Liability, you cover nearly 70% of the tort questions that have appeared in the last five years. This makes your preparation sharper, more focused, and far more effective than spreading yourself thin across every minor principle.
