Additional Information
Book Details
Abstract
Contract Law is designed to provide coverage of the fundamental legal principles at play in this area. Written in the authors’ trademark clear and engaging style and incorporating a range of student-focused features, the book also introduces critical and contextual analysis to help you to develop your own critique and deepen your understanding of the law of contract.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cover | Cover | ||
| Title page | iii | ||
| Copyright Page | iv | ||
| Brief Contents | v | ||
| Contents | vii | ||
| Preface | xiii | ||
| Acknowledgements | xiv | ||
| Table of cases | xv | ||
| Table of statutes | xxvi | ||
| Table of statutory instruments | xxix | ||
| Table of EC legislation | xxx | ||
| Introduction | 1 | ||
| Why do we need contract law? | 2 | ||
| The origins of contract law | 2 | ||
| Freedom of contract | 4 | ||
| Contract and fairness | 4 | ||
| The objective approach | 5 | ||
| The Human Rights Act 1998 | 6 | ||
| Reading list | 8 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 8 | ||
| Part 1 The formation of a contract | 9 | ||
| Chapter 1 Offer and acceptance | 11 | ||
| Unilateral and bilateral contracts | 12 | ||
| Offer | 12 | ||
| Invitations to treat | 14 | ||
| How long does an offer last? | 17 | ||
| Acceptance | 24 | ||
| Acceptance must be communicated | 29 | ||
| Exceptions to the communication rule | 29 | ||
| Ignorance of the offer | 33 | ||
| Cross-offers | 34 | ||
| Time of the formation of the contract | 34 | ||
| Offer and acceptance implied by the court | 35 | ||
| Agreements to negotiate | 36 | ||
| Agreements to agree, letters of intent and agreements ‘subject to contract’ | 37 | ||
| Common types of contracts | 38 | ||
| How important are offer and acceptance? | 43 | ||
| Problems with offer and acceptance | 44 | ||
| Answering questions | 45 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 1 | 49 | ||
| Reading list | 52 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 52 | ||
| Chapter 2 Certainty | 53 | ||
| Provision for clarification | 55 | ||
| Terms implied by statute | 56 | ||
| Previous course of dealing | 56 | ||
| Reasonableness | 56 | ||
| Custom | 57 | ||
| The ‘officious bystander’ | 57 | ||
| Removing minor uncertain terms | 58 | ||
| Answering questions | 58 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 2 | 59 | ||
| Reading list | 60 | ||
| Chapter 3 Intention to create legal relations | 61 | ||
| Social and domestic agreements | 62 | ||
| Commercial agreements | 64 | ||
| How important is intention to create legal relations? | 68 | ||
| Answering questions | 68 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 3 | 69 | ||
| Reading list | 70 | ||
| Chapter 4 Capacity | 71 | ||
| Minors | 72 | ||
| Mental incapacity | 77 | ||
| Corporations | 78 | ||
| Answering questions | 79 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 4 | 81 | ||
| Reading list | 83 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 83 | ||
| Chapter 5 Formalities | 84 | ||
| Contracts that must be made by deed | 85 | ||
| Contracts that must be in writing | 85 | ||
| Contracts that must be evidenced in writing | 88 | ||
| Answering questions | 91 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 5 | 91 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 92 | ||
| Chapter 6 Consideration | 93 | ||
| What is consideration? | 94 | ||
| Performance of an existing duty | 100 | ||
| Waiver and promissory estoppel | 107 | ||
| Agreement by deed | 112 | ||
| Consideration and conditional gifts | 112 | ||
| Problems with consideration | 113 | ||
| The future of consideration | 115 | ||
| Reform | 116 | ||
| Answering questions | 116 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 6 | 119 | ||
| Reading list | 121 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 122 | ||
| Part 2 The contents of a contract | 123 | ||
| Chapter 7 Terms of the contract | 125 | ||
| Express terms | 126 | ||
| Oral statements | 126 | ||
| Written terms | 129 | ||
| Collateral contracts | 131 | ||
| Oral and written statements | 132 | ||
| Interpretation of express terms | 132 | ||
| Implied terms | 140 | ||
| Terms implied in fact | 140 | ||
| Terms implied in law | 145 | ||
| Terms implied by custom | 146 | ||
| Terms implied by trade usage | 146 | ||
| Entire agreement clauses | 147 | ||
| The relative importance of contractual terms | 148 | ||
| Conditions | 148 | ||
| Warranties | 149 | ||
| Innominate terms | 149 | ||
| Criticism and reform | 152 | ||
| Answering questions | 154 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 7 | 157 | ||
| Reading list | 160 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 160 | ||
| Chapter 8 Unfair contract terms | 161 | ||
| Exemption clauses | 162 | ||
| Common law controls | 162 | ||
| Statutory controls | 171 | ||
| Answering questions | 178 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 8 | 181 | ||
| Reading list | 184 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 184 | ||
| Part 3 Vitiating factors | 185 | ||
| Chapter 9 Misrepresentation | 187 | ||
| What is a misrepresentation? | 188 | ||
| Types of misrepresentation | 195 | ||
| Remedies for misrepresentation | 199 | ||
| Misrepresentation and terms | 206 | ||
| Excluding liability for misrepresentation | 206 | ||
| Entire agreement clauses and misrepresentation | 208 | ||
| Answering questions | 210 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 9 | 211 | ||
| Reading list | 214 | ||
| Chapter 10 Mistake | 215 | ||
| General principles | 216 | ||
| Common mistake | 219 | ||
| Cross-purposes mistake | 224 | ||
| Mistakes relating to documents | 230 | ||
| Criticism and reform | 233 | ||
| Answering questions | 235 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 10 | 237 | ||
| Reading list | 240 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 240 | ||
| Chapter 11 Illegality | 241 | ||
| Introduction | 242 | ||
| Violation of legal rules and public policy | 243 | ||
| The effect of an illegal contract | 252 | ||
| Criticism | 254 | ||
| Answering questions | 258 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 11 | 258 | ||
| Reading list | 260 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 260 | ||
| Chapter 12 Duress and undue influence | 261 | ||
| Duress | 262 | ||
| Undue influence | 266 | ||
| Inequality of bargaining power | 274 | ||
| Answering questions | 274 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 12 | 277 | ||
| Reading list | 279 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 279 | ||
| Part 4 The rights and liabilities of third parties | 281 | ||
| Chapter 13 Third parties | 283 | ||
| The privity rule | 284 | ||
| Reform | 285 | ||
| Contractual rights conferred on third parties | 286 | ||
| Statutory rights | 286 | ||
| Common law exceptions | 289 | ||
| Exceptions in equity | 295 | ||
| Arguments for the privity rule | 296 | ||
| Arguments against the privity rule | 297 | ||
| Answering questions | 299 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 13 | 300 | ||
| Reading list | 303 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 303 | ||
| Part 5 Discharge and remedies | 305 | ||
| Chapter 14 Discharge of contract | 307 | ||
| Performance | 308 | ||
| The entire performance rule | 308 | ||
| Mitigation of the entire performance rule | 309 | ||
| Vicarious performance | 312 | ||
| Frustration | 313 | ||
| What will amount to frustration? | 313 | ||
| What will not amount to frustration? | 315 | ||
| Legal consequences of frustration | 318 | ||
| The theory of frustration | 320 | ||
| Breach | 321 | ||
| Actual breach | 321 | ||
| Anticipatory breach | 322 | ||
| Lawful excuse | 323 | ||
| Effect of breach | 323 | ||
| Choice to affirm or discharge | 325 | ||
| Agreement | 329 | ||
| Consideration | 329 | ||
| Formalities | 329 | ||
| Answering questions | 330 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 14 | 335 | ||
| Reading list | 338 | ||
| Chapter 15 Remedies | 339 | ||
| Common law remedies | 340 | ||
| Damages | 340 | ||
| Action for an agreed sum | 367 | ||
| Restitution | 367 | ||
| Equitable remedies | 371 | ||
| Specific performance | 372 | ||
| Injunction | 374 | ||
| Remedies agreed by the parties | 375 | ||
| Liquidated damages | 376 | ||
| Penalty clauses | 377 | ||
| Extinction of remedies | 379 | ||
| The statutory time limits | 380 | ||
| Problems with remedies | 381 | ||
| Answering questions | 383 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 15 | 390 | ||
| Reading list | 394 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 395 | ||
| Part 6 Consumer protection | 397 | ||
| Chapter 16 Consumer contracts | 399 | ||
| History | 400 | ||
| Key terms | 400 | ||
| Consumer rights | 401 | ||
| Manufacturers’ liability | 410 | ||
| Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 | 413 | ||
| Unsolicited goods | 416 | ||
| Consumer credit | 416 | ||
| Contract law and consumer protection | 417 | ||
| Answering questions | 418 | ||
| Summary of Chapter 16 | 421 | ||
| Reading list | 422 | ||
| Reading on the internet | 423 | ||
| Appendix: Answering examination questions | 425 | ||
| Essay questions | 426 | ||
| Problem questions | 428 | ||
| Glossary | 431 | ||
| Index | 435 |