exam Flashcards
Definition of Contract
A legally binding agreement between parties enforceable in court.
more context to defintion of a contract
Like a promise that, if broken, can be resolved in court.
signigicance of contracts in a free market econ
Contract law is crucial in a free market as it allows buying, selling, and profit-making based on agreed promises.
more context to significance of a contract in a free market econ
Without enforceable promises, people can’t carry out agreements and make a living in a free market.
Types and Forms of Contracts
Contracts don’t need a specific form except for specific types (e.g., land sale contracts).
examples of contract that need a specific form
Contracts for land sale, consumer credit agreements, and copyright agreements must be in writin
validitiy of a written contract
Signing a written contract means agreeing to its terms, even if not fully read.
give example of validity of a written contract
Like Miss L’Estrange who couldn’t complain in court about a faulty vending machine because she signed a contract excluding certain rights. - without reading it
advantages of written contracts
provide evidence of agreements, making it easier for courts to resolve disputes.
making a contract valid
how many essentials of a contract are there
4
what are the essentials of a contract
Four things must exist for an agreement to be a contract: offer, acceptance, consideration, and intention to create legal relations.
what happens if any of the 4 contracts of agreement are missing
If any of these is missing, it’s an agreement but not a contract enforceable in court. These elements are necessary for any alterations to a contract to be enforceable. ( what does enforcable mean )
what is agreement normally shown by
finding an offer and the acceptance of that offer
sometimes agreement shown by finding and accepting an offer is not always necessary t/f
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in terms of agreement and invitation to treat what is a historical course of dealing
Sometimes, agreement isn’t clear-cut with an offer and acceptance. When actions have been ongoing for a long time, it’s likely that people involved agree.
This is called “historical course of dealing.”
offer v invitation to treat
An invitation to treat is the start of talking about a deal, not a firm offer. You can’t accept an invitation to treat; you respond by making an offer, which the person can accept or refuse.
what are the 4 examples for agreement
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (1953)
Fisher v Bell (1960)
Partridge v Crittenden (1968)
Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co (1892).
pharamceutical society of great britian v boots cash chemists (1953)
Legal Situation: The law required a pharmacist’s supervision to sell certain medicines.
Store Operation: Boots operated a self-service shop where customers selected items and paid at the till, supervised by a pharmacist.
Legal Question: The court needed to decide when the actual sale happened: on the shelf or at the till.
Boots’ Argument: Placing items on shelves was an invitation to treat, not a direct sale.
Court Decision: Courts agreed with Boots, stating that items on shop shelves are invitations to treat, and the actual sale occurs at the till, supervised by a pharmacist.
Fisher v Bell (1960) - Shop Display as an Invitation to Treat
Legal Scenario: Mr. Bell, a shop owner, had a knife in his shop window with a price tag.
Legal Issue: The court had to decide if putting something in the shop window was offering it for sale.
Shopkeeper’s Rights: A shopkeeper can refuse to sell to anyone they want, for various reasons (like safety concerns or payment issues).
Invitation to Treat: Placing goods in the window doesn’t mean they’re directly for sale. It’s more like inviting people to ask about buying them.
Legal Conclusion: Displaying goods in a shop or window is seen as an invitation for customers to start talking about buying, not an outright offer for sale.
Partridge v Crittenden (1968) - Advertisement as an Invitation to Treat
Back side:
Case Scenario: Mr. Partridge placed an ad in a magazine for protected wild birds, which was against the law.
Legal Issue: The court needed to decide if placing the ad was an offer to sell or an invitation to treat.
Similarity to Fisher v Bell: Similar to Fisher v Bell, the court decided that the advertisement was not an offer but an invitation to treat.
Limited Supply: Mr. Partridge couldn’t supply all birds if everyone wanted them, indicating it wasn’t a firm offer for sale.
Conclusion: The ad was seen as an invitation for people to ask about buying, not a direct offer for sale due to limited supply and ability to refuse specific requests.
basically he was saying he wasnt breaing the law the people buying it were
Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co (1892) - Advertisement as an Offer
Case Scenario: The Smoke Ball Company advertised a flu prevention device, promising £100 to users who got influenza after using it as directed.
Legal Claim: Mrs. Carlill used the product as instructed, caught influenza, and claimed the £100 promised in the ad.
Company’s Refusal: The company denied the payment, arguing the ad wasn’t a valid offer.
Legal Decision: The court ruled that if an advertisement is clear and specific, it can be seen as an offer. In this case, the ad was precise enough to be considered an offer.
Outcome: Mrs. Carlill succeeded because the ad was viewed as a clear offer, leaving no room for the company to refuse payment.
summary of agreement statistics
Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (1953): Shop displays are invitations to treat, not offers for sale, ensuring legality in medicine sales.
Fisher v Bell (1960): Goods in shop windows are invitations to treat, not direct offers, safeguarding against selling restricted items.
Partridge v Crittenden (1968): Advertisements for limited items like protected birds are invitations to treat due to limited supply, not firm offers.
Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co (1892): A specific and clear advertisement can constitute a valid offer, leading to binding contractual obligations upon performance.
Bilateral vs. Unilateral Contracts
Bilateral Contract: Both parties must fulfill their promises in the contract.
Unilateral Contract: Only one party is obligated to perform.
Unilateral contract examples
Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co (1892): Using the smoke ball as directed and catching influenza constituted acceptance of the offer for reward payment.
Lost Pet Notice Example: Offering a reward for a lost pet creates a unilateral contract; finder’s return triggers the reward obligation.
Unilateral contract - no obligation example
Random Act of Kindness: Returning a lost dog without knowing about the reward doesn’t bind the owner to pay, as it wasn’t prompted by the offer.
explanatino of why the smokebomb is unilateral
offer was structured as a unilateral contract, because it required the performance of an act (using the smoke ball as directed) as the acceptance of the offer.
In a unilateral contract, only one party is obliged to perform. Here, Mrs. Carlill, by using the smoke ball according to the instructions and catching influenza, fulfilled the required act of acceptance outlined in the advertisement.
critical distinction between unilateral and bilateral contracts
how the acceptance is made: in a unilateral contract, acceptance is through performance of a specified act;
in a bilateral contract, acceptance usually happens through a promise or mutual agreement between parties.
auctions
auctions are both offers and invitations to treatr t/f
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what is a lot
specific item or items being sold as a single un
a lot is a
invitation to trear
when someon places a bid that is
an offer