Business Law Assignment: Contract Breach and Frustration
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This presentation discusses the rules and application of contract breach and frustration in business law. It covers the legal elements of a valid contract, consideration, contractual capacity, and frustration of contract. The presentation also includes case studies and references to relevant laws and cases.
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Business law assignment
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1. Issue: The issue involved in the case study is whether Ted can sue Ann for the contract breach.
Rules: Contract can be regarded as an agreement which can be enforced and executed in a legal manner among at least two or more than two persons who can be considered as the parties to it. For resulting into valid contract, some essential elements are required to be present which are as follows; intention of the parties to be legally bound, presence of consideration, legal capacity of the parties and an agreement. The concept of consideration has been explained in the case ofCurrie v Misa (1876) 1 AC 554by Lush J where he said that consideration can consist of rights, benefits, profits or interest which is accruing to one party given, undertaken by other. it was held inThomas v Thomas (1842) 114 ER 330, it was held that consideration may not be of equal valuation but it would be held sufficient if it is of some value even if such value is very small . Hence it can be said that the consideration given in an agreement by one party to other need not to be adequate but it can be just a token amount. But it was not be an illusory it is to be real.
Rules (Contd.): It is not necessary that consideration must be always of some pecuniary amount.It can consist of providing any particular thing for performing something which is of some importance some value and importance to the other party. anything which has been already given cannot be provided later on again as a consideration. as held in theStilk v Myrick (1809) 170 ER 1168. However instead of providing anything, if any act is performed in exchange of any service or anything such performance of the act can be considered as a valid consideration. This principle is followed when an individual asks another to cause the performance of any act and mention that binding agreement will be made in exchange for such performance of the act at a later date as observed in Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1980] AC 614where it was held that performing any act can amount to a valid consideration. In the same manner inMusumeci v Winadell Pty Ltd (1994) 34 NSWLR 723, it was discussed that any practical benefit that has been incurred by one party due to the act of the other party can be considered as a valid consideration. However it has to be noted that an agreement will result into void agreement if the consideration is absent or found illusory as observed inPlacer Development Ltd v Commonwealth (1969) 121 CLR 353.
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Rules (Contd.): Another important factor required to form a contract legally valid is the contractual capacity of the parties. If the party to a contract is less than 18 years, he will be considered minor then generally the contract is not binding on the minor as per section 17 of theMinors (Property and Contracts) Act 1970 No 60 – NSW. However if it is for minor’s benefit then that contract is binding as per section 19. Similar observation was found under the provisions of common law where a contract entered by an individual of below 18 year (minor) for purpose of employment, then it is binding if it is beneficial to him. But on attaining majority the minor can repudiate the contract.
Application In the present case it is seen that 14 year old girl Ann entered into a contract for a period of 3 years with Ted for learning ballet dancing. From this it is seen that the girl is a minor when she enters into the contract. Here although she lacks the capacity to enter the contract but as the contract is a civil act and is beneficial to her interest and can be a source of employment then it is binding. Hence the contract is not void because of the minor age of the world. As per the terms present in the contract, Ted will be teaching her belly dancing without any charge. Moreover during this period of 3 years she was not permitted to accept any engagement except under Ted. In addition to these, Ted can even employ her to perform dancing on stage. From the fact that ted was providing dance lessons to Ann at free of charge shows that there is no consideration at all. But it was also mentioned in the agreement that she is not bound to accept any engagement from outsiders and she can be even employed to perform on stage by him. This forms a valid consideration of service against the teaching of dance by Ted.
Application (Contd.): From the facts it is seen that a stage engagement is accepted by her from an outsider bill because whatever she was earning from trade was not sufficient. This shows the breach of a condition mentioned in the agreement. Since she has breached the term of an agreement Ted can sue her for this.
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Conclusion Hence it can be concluded that Ann can be sued by Ted for contract breach.
2. Issue The issue involved here is whether the belief possessed by the fishing company is right.
Rules: A contract is known as frustrated when after it is formed and without the fault for involvement any party becomes impossible such that it cannot be performed. It can happen because of some unforeseen act or event that result it into to the applications of the parties under the contract to be radically and completely different from that which the parties have decided or planned during contract creation. Similar type of situation appears inTaylor v Caldwell [1863] EWHC QB J1. The legal effect of such contract which has been frustrated is that the contract gets terminated when the frustration occurs. Such type of contract is not void ab initio that is it is not void from the beginning but because of the change of situation the performance of the contract becomes frustrated.
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Rules (Contd.): For the purpose of determining whether frustration has resulted in any contract the classic case ofDavis Contractors Ltd v Fareham Urban District Council [1956] AC 696; [1956] 3 WLR 37is referred. It is an English case regarding frustration of the agreement in the contract. This english case is referred for determining any type of frustration cases. Similarly it was also applied during the analysis of the leading Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of NSW [1982] HCA 24, (1982) 149 CLR 337where it was held that the contract involved wasfrustrated due to an injunction.
Rules (Contd.): Various situations can result into frustration of the contract and they are discussed below; When the original subject matter gets destructed as observed inTaylor v Caldwell (1863) 3 B & S 826. When the personal incapacity of either of the parties results into to the frustration of the contract. This was observed inCondor v Baron Knights [1966] 1 WLR 87. When the contract cannot be performed because such performance will render it illegal then the contract is frustrated. This was construed in Fibrosa Spolka v Fairbairn [1943] AC 32. In case the contract cannot be e done or performed in a particular manner specified in the agreement as laid inNicholl and Knight v Ashton, Eldridge & Co [1901] 2 KB 126. Similarly a contract can again be frustrated if the commercial objective behind the contract is not present anymore as inKrell v Henry [1903] 2 KB 740.
Rules (Contd.): However there are some exceptions where the contract will not be considered to be frustrated even if satisfies any of the above mentioned conditions. When the contract becomes more expensive or difficult to perform in such case the contract cannot be considered to be frustrated because it can be performed its performance just become difficult or more expensive. it was laid inTsakiroglou & Co Ltd v Noblee Thorl GmbH [1962] AC 93. Again the contract will not attract the provision of frustration where performing it turns impossible because of the fault made by any party to it as inMaritime National Fish v Ocean Trawlers [1935] AC 524. If it is seen that aforce majeureclause is present then it will apply instead of the frustration law. This was laid down inJackson v The Union Marine Insurance Co Ltd (1874) LR 10 CP 125. The frustration of the contract cannot be considered if the frustration can be foreseen easilyas laid down inPeter Cassidy Seed Co Ltd v Osuustukkuk-Auppa Ltd [1957] 1 WLR 273.
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Rules (Contd.): In case if a contract is frustrated then both the contracting parties are not obliged by the contract anymore and they are released from their liabilities present in the contract and they will not have the right of suing one another if the contract is violated. However the parties are entitled to claim some sort of relief in the form of restitution in case the contract in which they are parties is being frustrated.Search claim of restitution does not arise from any contract but it just protects the parties from the enrichment at their expenditure.
Application: In the present case scenario it is seen that four trawlers where owned by a fishing company. Such trawlers can be used only when they are fitted to an otter trawl. Then a similar trawler was chartered by the company that increased the size of the fleet to five. In order to fit this type of trawl permission must be sought from the Minister of Fisheries. Application for 5 licenses was played by the company but it was granted with only 4 instead of 5. As a result four trawls were fitted to the four boats owned by the company. Then it was claimed by the company that the charter of the 5thboat is not possible. Moreover it claimed that the contract has ended. This showed that the functioning of the fifth trawler becomes impossible due to the non-granting of the license to it by the Minister of Fisheries. This amounts to the frustration of contract due to act of the Minister of Fisheries which was not in the hands of the party, the fishing company.
Conclusion: Hence it can be concluded that the belief of the fishing company is right because the contract cannot be performed due to frustration.
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References: Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of NSW [1982] HCA 24, (1982) 149 CLR 337 Condor v Baron Knights [1966] 1 WLR 87 Currie v Misa (1876) 1 AC 554 Davis Contractors Ltd v Fareham Urban District Council [1956] AC 696; [1956] 3 WLR 37 Fibrosa Spolka v Fairbairn [1943] AC 32 Jackson v The Union Marine Insurance Co Ltd (1874) LR 10 CP 125. Krell v Henry [1903] 2 KB 740. Maritime National Fish v Ocean Trawlers [1935] AC 524. Minors (Property and Contracts) Act 1970 No 60 – NSW Musumeci v Winadell Pty Ltd (1994) 34 NSWLR 723 Nicholl and Knight v Ashton, Eldridge & Co [1901] 2 KB 126. Pao On v Lau Yiu Long [1980] AC 614 Peter Cassidy Seed Co Ltd v Osuustukkuk-Auppa Ltd [1957] 1 WLR 273. Placer Development Ltd v Commonwealth (1969) 121 CLR 353 Stilk v Myrick (1809) 170 ER 1168 Taylor v Caldwell (1863) 3 B & S 826 Taylor v Caldwell [1863] EWHC QB J1. Thomas v Thomas (1842) 114 ER 330 Tsakiroglou & Co Ltd v Noblee Thorl GmbH [1962] AC 93.