Text, Cases and Materials on Contract Law

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Outline contents
Detailed contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Table of Cases
Table of UK and international legislation
Table of statutory instruments
Table of decisions, directives, regulations, treaties and conventions
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Introduction
1.2 The classical law of contract
1.3 The subject matter of contract law
1.3.1 Voluntary transactions
1.4 Discrete and relational transactions
1.5 Different approaches to analysing contract
1.5.1 Economic analysis
1.5.2 Sociopolitical analysis
1.5.3 Empirical research
1.6 European contract law
Chapter 2 Forming the agreement
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Forming an agreement
2.2.1 Formalities
2.2.2 The objective approach to agreement
2.2.3 Offer
2.2.3.1 Shop sales
2.2.3.2 Advertisements
2.2.4 Unilateral and bilateral contracts
2.2.5 Some special situations
2.2.5.1 Tenders
2.2.5.2 Auctions
2.2.6 Acceptance
2.2.6.1 Battle of the forms
2.2.6.2 Acceptance by conduct
2.2.6.3 Acceptance by silence
2.2.6.4 Acceptance by post
2.2.6.5 Limitations on the postal rule
2.2.6.6 Fax and email
2.2.6.7 Websites
2.2.7 Termination of offers
2.2.7.1 Termination of offers in unilateral contracts
Chapter 3 Consideration and other tests of enforceability
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Deeds
3.3 Consideration
3.3.1 Definition of consideration
3.3.2 Consideration need not be ‘adequate’ but must be ‘sufficient’
3.3.3 Past consideration
3.3.3.1 Qualifications and exceptions
3.3.4 Performance of existing duties
3.3.4.1 Non-contractual duties imposed by law
3.3.4.2 Existing contractual duty owed to a third party
3.3.4.3 Existing duty to same promisor
3.3.5 Consideration and the part payment of debts
3.3.5.1 Common-law exceptions to the rule in Foakes v Beer
3.3.6 Consideration and the variation of contracts
3.3.6.1 Waiver
3.3.7 Promissory estoppel
3.3.7.1 Need for an existing legal relationship and a promise by one party that rights thereunder will not be strictly enforced
3.3.7.2 ‘Shield not a sword’
3.3.7.3 Inequitable for the promisor to go back on the promise
3.3.7.4 Suspensory nature of the doctrine
3.4 Alternative tests of enforceability
3.4.1 Reliance
Chapter 4 Intention to create legal relations
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Objective approach to intention
4.3 Domestic or social agreements
4.4 Commercial agreements
4.5 Collective agreements
4.6 Is a requirement of intention necessary?
Chapter 5 Privity
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The basic doctrine of privity of contract
5.3 Reform: Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999
5.3.1 Changing the agreement
5.3.2 Defences
5.3.3 Exceptions
5.4 Common law ‘exceptions’ to privity of contract
5.4.1 Damages on behalf of another
5.4.2 The trust of a promise
5.4.3 Collateral contracts
5.4.4 Agency
5.5 Imposition of obligations
Chapter 6 Contents of the contract
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Distinction between representations and terms
6.2.1 The basis of the distinction between terms and representations
6.2.1.1 Importance of the statement
6.2.1.2 Requirement of independent verification
6.2.1.3 Contract terms stated in writing
6.2.1.4 Expert knowledge of one of the parties
6.2.2 Incorporation in a collateral contract
6.2.3 Summary
6.3 Express terms
6.3.1 Incorporation
6.3.1.1 Signed consent
6.3.1.2 Notice of printed terms
6.3.1.3 Common course of dealings
6.3.1.4 Onerous or unusual conditions
6.3.2 Interpretation
6.3.2.1 Parol evidence rule
6.3.2.2 Exceptions
6.3.2.3 The move from literal to contextual methods of interpretation
6.3.3 Categories of terms
6.4 Implied terms
6.4.1 Terms implied by the courts
6.4.1.1 Terms implied by custom
6.4.1.2 Terms implied in fact
6.4.1.3 Terms implied in law
6.4.2 Terms implied by statute
6.4.3 The justification for implied terms
Chapter 7 Clauses excluding or limiting liability
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Common law
7.2.1 Incorporation
7.2.2 Interpretation
7.2.2.1 Strict interpretation
7.2.2.2 Contra proferentem rule
7.2.2.3 Exclusion and limitation clauses
7.2.2.4 Relaxation of the rules of interpretation
7.2.3 Fundamental breach
7.3 Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977
7.3.1 Scope
7.3.1.1 Business liability
7.3.1.2 Exclusions
7.3.1.3 Clauses covered
7.3.2 Protective provisions
7.3.2.1 Liability for negligence
7.3.2.2 Liability in contract
7.3.2.3 Liability arising from contracts for the supply of goods
7.3.3 The requirement of reasonableness
7.3.3.1 Guidelines in Schedule 2
7.3.3.2 ‘Reasonableness’ in the House of Lords
7.3.3.3 ‘Reasonableness’ in the Court of Appeal
7.4 Consumer Rights Act 2015
7.4.1 Scope
7.4.2 Control
7.4.2.1 Unfair terms
7.4.2.2 The requirement of ‘transparency’
7.4.3 Enforcement
Chapter 8 Misrepresentation
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Actionable misrepresentations
8.2.1 Statements of fact
8.2.1.1 Statements of intention
8.2.1.2 Representations of opinion
8.2.1.3 Representations of law
8.2.1.4 Silence
8.2.1.5 Conduct
8.2.2 Misrepresentation must induce the contract
8.2.2.1 The general rule
8.2.2.2 Materiality
8.2.2.3 Three key requirements of inducement
8.3 Categories of misrepresentation
8.3.1 Fraudulent misrepresentation
8.3.2 Negligent misrepresentation
8.3.2.1 At common law
8.3.2.2 Under the Misrepresentation Act 1967
8.3.3 Innocent misrepresentation
8.4 Remedies
8.4.1 Rescission
8.4.1.1 Operation of rescission
8.4.1.2 Bars to rescission
8.4.2 Damages
8.4.2.1 Fraudulent misrepresentation
8.4.2.2 Negligent misstatement
8.4.3 Damages under s 2(2) Misrepresentation Act 1967
8.4.4 Indemnity at common law
8.5 Exclusion of liability for misrepresentation
8.6 Unfair commercial practices and the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014
Chapter 9 Mistake
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Categories of mistake
9.2.1 Common law mistake
9.2.1.1 Mistakes that negative consent
9.2.1.2 Mistakes that nullify consent
9.2.2 Equitable mistake
9.2.3 Non est factum
9.3 Mistakes that negative consent
9.3.1 Mutual mistake
9.3.2 Unilateral mistake
9.3.2.1 Unilateral mistake as to identity
9.4 Mistakes that nullify consent
9.4.1 Subject matter never existed
9.4.2 Impossibility of performance
9.4.3 Common mistake as to quality
9.5 Mistake in equity
9.6 Non est factum
Chapter 10 Duress
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Duress of the person
10.3 Duress of goods
10.4 Economic duress
10.4.1 Requirements to establish a claim for economic duress
10.4.1.1 Compulsion of the will
10.4.1.2 Illegitimate pressure
10.5 Remedies
Chapter 11 Undue influence
11.1 Introduction
11.1.1 The relationship with duress
11.1.2 The meaning of ‘undue’
11.1.3 The structure of this chapter
11.2 Two traditional categories of undue influence
11.2.1 Actual undue influence
11.2.2 Presumed undue influence
11.2.2.1 A relationship of trust and confidence
11.2.2.2 A transaction which is not readily explicable by the relationship between the parties
11.2.2.3 Rebutting the presumption of undue influence
11.3 Undue influence and third parties
11.4 The Etridge case
11.4.1 The speeches
11.4.2 The categories of undue influence
11.4.3 The doctrine of notice
11.4.4 The precautions to be taken by the bank
11.5 Remedies for undue influence
11.5.1 Rescission
11.5.2 Account of profits
11.5.3 The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (as Amended)
11.6 Unconscionability and inequality of bargaining power
Chapter 12 Frustration
12.1 Introduction
12.1.1 The nature of the doctrine
12.2 Frustrating events
12.2.1 Impossibility
12.2.1.1 Destruction of the subject matter
12.2.1.2 Death or incapacity
12.2.1.3 Unavailability or delay
12.2.1.4 Government intervention
12.2.2 Supervening illegality
12.2.3 Frustration of purpose
12.3 Limitations on the doctrine
12.3.1 Self-induced frustration
12.3.2 Events foreseen and provided for
12.3.3 Events foreseen and not provided for
12.4 Effects of frustration: common law
12.4.1 Automatic discharge
12.4.2 Prospective operation of discharge
12.5 Effects of frustration: Law Reform (Frustrated Contracts) Act 1943
12.5.1 The scope of the act
12.5.2 The key provisions of the act
12.5.2.1 The underlying purpose of the LR(FC)A 1943
12.5.2.2 Operation of section 1(2): restitution of money
12.5.2.3 Operation of section 1(3): restitution of non-money benefits
12.5.3 Criticisms of the Law Reform (Frustrated Contracts) Act 1943
Chapter 13 Illegality
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Policy arguments
13.3 Categories of illegality
13.3.1 Statutory illegality
13.3.1.1 Contracts illegal in their formation
13.3.1.2 Contracts illegal in their performance
13.3.2 Common law illegality
13.3.2.1 Public policy
13.3.2.2 Categories
13.4 The effect of illegality
13.4.1 Exceptions to the strict rules
13.4.1.1 Parties not equally to blame
13.4.1.2 Claim not based on the illegal contract
13.4.1.3 Illegal purpose not yet carried out
13.4.2 Severance
13.5 Proposals for reform
Chapter 14 Discharge by performance or breach
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Discharge by performance
14.2.1 Performance must be precise and exact
14.2.2 Partial performance
14.2.2.1 Severable obligations
14.2.2.2 Substantial performance
14.2.2.3 Restitution of benefits in kind
14.2.3 Time of performance
14.3 Discharge by breach
14.3.1 Effect of repudiatory breach
14.3.2 Nature of repudiatory breach
14.3.2.1 Conditions and warranties
14.3.2.2 Intermediate terms
14.3.2.3 Categorisation by the parties
14.3.3 Anticipatory breach
14.3.4 The right of election
14.3.3.1 Risks of acceptance
14.3.3.2 Risks of affirmation
Chapter 15 Remedies
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Damages
15.2.1 Compensatory damages: the different measures
15.2.1.1 The expectation measure
15.2.1.2 The reliance measure
15.2.1.3 The restitution measure
15.2.2 Compensatory damages for non-pecuniary losses
15.2.2.1 The traditional rule
15.2.2.2 Exceptions to the traditional rule
15.2.3 Limitations on the recovery of damages
15.2.3.1 Causation
15.2.3.2 Contributory negligence
15.2.3.3 Remoteness
15.2.3.4 Mitigation
15.2.4 Gain-based damages?
15.2.4.1 The history of gain-based damages for breach of contract
15.2.4.2 The landmark case
15.2.4.3 Application of Lord Nicholls’s ‘useful guide’
15.2.4.4 Two measures of gain-based damages?
15.2.5 Liquidated damages and penalty clauses
15.2.5.1 Background
15.2.5.2 A genuine pre-estimate of loss likely to be caused by the breach?
15.2.5.3 Recasting the penalty rule
15.3 Specific relief
15.3.1 Specific performance
15.3.1.1 Adequacy of damages
15.3.1.2 Factors affecting the availability of specific performance
15.3.2 Injunctions
Index