LDC Contract Questions
LDC Contract Questions
1. What is a contract?
3. If x is talking to y and offers to sell him something; but the conversation is overheard by z, can z
accept the offer and why?
Z will not be deemed to accept the offer because the offer is to a specific person and it automatically
excludes other would be acceptors
4. What was the major principle in CARILL V CARBOLIC SMOKE BALL CO?
5. If the Uganda Police gave a reward for the apprehension of a thief, and x catches the thief without
knowing about the reward, will the police be obligated to hand over the reward and why?
This is an offer where s person promises to do something upon fulfillment or happening of some event.
Court will interpreted an exclusion clause against the maker, especially where there is ambiguity in the
clause
8. X wrote a letter to y offering him a sum of money for his horse saying “if I here no more form you,
I consider the horse mine”. Y did not reply and x decided to keep the horse. Can y enforce his
rights? Give a reason.
Common mistake is where both the parties are mistaken about the subject matter while unilateral
mistake is where only one party is mistaken about the subject matter
10. What is needed for a contract to be regarded as valid?
For a contract to be valid, the following should exist; Consideration, meeting of minds, capacity to
contract
This is an offer made that will extinguish an earlier contract because new terms have been proposed
Where a person causes another to believe that he has changed his position and upon that belief the
party changes his position; the maker of the statement is stopped form denying that statement
13. Many times makers of contracts have tended to exclude themselves from liability. How have the
courts tried to protect the interests of the weaker parties to such contracts?
In case of ambiguity, the court interprets the clause against the maker of the statement.
A defendant shall also not exclude him/herself from liability if they fail to perform a fundamental term
of the contract
A condition is a fundamental term of the contract while a warranty is a term incidental to the formation
of the contract.
15. The doctrine of consideration is an essential part of the contract yet there are contracts that can
still go on without consideration. Name the exceptional circumstances.
Promissory estoppel
Assignment
16. Name two situations where intention to be legally bound may be negatived.
Where the parties clearly state in their contract that they are not be legally bound
Revocation is when a party before there is any acceptance decides to withdraw his/her offer
Void contracts are those that are unenforceable from the start while voidable contracts are still
enforceable after the formation of the contract but their existence depends on the option of the injured
party
19. Name any two exceptions to the parole evidence rule
Additional evidence will be admitted to show that contract is valid. The evidence will normally
be admitted to show that there is an irregularity
Evidence may be adduced to show the additional terms attached to the contract
It may also be adduced to show that the contract is subject to custom or usage
The general rule is that such people a re bound by such contracts except where the person can not read
the wrong information is read to that party
Substantial performance is when a person has performed almost the whole contract while partial
performance means performance of only small part of the contract
24. What is the general rule with regard to the law of agency?
The general rule is that an agent is neither liable nor entitled to enforce a contract he makes on behalf
of his principle
An agent is liable if he purports to act for another principle that is in fact himself
The duty to perform his/her obligations personally and delegate his/her duty
27. On the other hand; what are the duties of the principal
Payment of remuneration
Payment of a commission if any which totally depends on the construction of the contact
Duty to indemnify the agent in case the agent incurs costs while working for the principal
28. What are the different ways in which a contract can be discharged?
By agreement
By performance
By breach
Where the contract is divided and part of the divided contract is concluded
Where there is non- completion of the contract due to the fault of the defendant
Contracts tending to injure the public service, for example the sale of public offices
Damages
Specific performance
Injunction
A condition is a major term of the contract breach of which discharges the contract while a warranty is a
minor term that results only to an award of damages but contract can still continue.
It refers to a situation where a party to the contract declares his/her intention not to perform the
contract before the performance is due
Quantum meruit
Specific performance
Injunction
Parties to a contract are excused from performance of their obligations if some unexpected event occurs
without the fault of either party
Where the parties have expressly provided for the contingency which has accrued
Death
This is an order from court restraining a person from continuing to do an infringing act
When the plaintiff is also partly responsible for the breach by the defendant
It is where the parties agree to forfeit their duties and obligations under the contract. It can either be
implied or express
Novation is a contract between a debtor, creditor and a third party, that the debt owed by the shall from
that point be owed to a third party
It refers to a situation where a contract ceases to exist between two or more parties
Discharge by agreement occurs where the parties agree to end the contract
47. Give three types of common law doctrines which amount to assignment
Novation
Acknowledgment
Power of attorney
50. List three way in which assignment by operation of the law comes about
Mere expectancies, that is to say, rights that do not belong to the party purporting to assign are
not assignable
It is a relationship which exists whenever one person acts on behalf of another and has power to effect
the principal’s legal position with regard to a third party
53. How is the equity doctrine of “clean hands” applicable in contract law?
This doctrine requires that before a plaintiff can ask court for an order sanctioning the other party,the
plaintiff must show that he did not do anything wrong.
It is basically a legal doctrine that creates a presumption that a person who performs a service for
another deserves to be paid.
Duress
Undue influence
Unconscionable bargain
Mistake
Misrepresentation
Duress occurs where consent is forced from a party to a contract by improper pressure.
the pressure applied should be so overwhelming to the party subject to it that their consent
was not genuine
the pressure apllied was improper in the nature of the pressure itself or in relation to the
demand for which consent ws sought.
59. what was the basis for the formation of the doctrine of undue influence under common law?
This was developed by the courts of equity which could not allow someone to take unfair advantage of
another who was in some form of dependant relationship where the dependant party would likely trust
the other party’s judgement rather than their own.e.g in a lawyer client or parent child relationship.
Where a bank threatens to cancel a credit facility or exercise its powers under mortgage
Threats of prosecution
Threat of detention
62. what elements need to be proved to establish undue influence
that the contract was entered into by A as a result of the undue influence of B
That B used that influence improperly to gain an unfair advantage at the expense of A.
63. What happens in an instance where undue influence is exercised by a third party?
For instance in a scenario of a contract of guarantee between a bank and A’s parents where the
bank giving a loan to A and A exerts undue influence on his parents ;the parents would have to
prove the following;
The undue influence meant the parents’ consent was not genuine
that the party seeking relief was, by reason of age, education, experience or circumstances,
at a serious disadvantage in comparison with the other party;
that the other party took improper advantage of the situation of the party seeking relief,
and that this improper advantage amounted to ‘equitable fraud’.
This is when a written contract purports to embody the entire agreement between the parties, no oral
testimony will be permitted that seeks to modify or change the interpretation of the written contract
provision.
66. what does the notation ‘time is of the essence’ mean in contract law?
When a contract contains a “time is of the essence” provision it means that the date set for the
action contemplated in the contract is fixed
Trade/business secret clauses are conditions that forbid employees from revealing business
secrets
When one party to a contract breaches it, that breach relieves the other party of the duty to
perform.
for the nonbreaching party he or she has to file suit against the other party and show how that
party failed to perform as promised
Specific performance is a court order that requires a party to do that which he has already agreed to
do in the contract
Rescission is an action that cancels or voids the contract and places the parties back in the positions
they were in prior to the creation of the contract.
It arises in situations where goods are sold and the parties have not specified the sale price of
the goods
The court creates an award for the nonbreaching party that is the financial equivalent of what the
party would have received if the contract had been fulfilled as promised
73. Does a contract still apply when one party has filed bankruptcy?
No, Bankruptcy relieves the debtor/party from all obligations made part of the bankruptcy petition.
When a contract contains a clause stating that it may only be terminated for good cause it is usually
construed to be terminable at will by the parties
• There must also be an unambiguous, affirmative act by a party showing the intention to rescind
the contract
78. What are the two difficulties in establishing an argument that the contracting party in fact
contracted as agent for the third party?
establishing that the third party (principal) gave authority to the agent to act in that
capacity.
establishing that the principal provided consideration to support the promisor's
promise.Example is Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre v Selfridge.
EXECUTED CONSIDERATION
If one party makes a promise in exchange for an act by the other party, when that act is
completed, it is executed consideration, eg in a unilateral contract where A offers £50
reward for the return of her lost handbag, if B finds the bag and returns it, B's consideration
is executed
84.One of the rules governing consideration is part payment of a debt. Briefly explain what
it entails giving also its exceptions
If one person owes a sum of money to another and agrees to pay part of this in full
settlement, the rule at common law (the rule in Pinnel's Case 1602) 5 CoRep 117a) is that
part-payment of a debt is not good consideration for a promise to forgo the balance.
85.Briefly explain the rule in Pinnel’s case?
Tif A owes B £50 and B accepts £25 in full satisfaction on the due date, there is nothing to prevent B
from claiming the balance at a later date, since there is no consideration proceeding from A to enforce
the promise of B to accept part-payment. This is because he is already bound to pay the full amount, an
agreement based on the same principle as Stilk v Myrick (1809). It also protects a creditor from the
economic duress of his debtor. In Pinnel's Case (1602), Cole owed Pinnel £8-10s-0d (£8.50) which was
due on 11 November. At Pinnel's request, Cole payed £5-2s-2d (£5.11) on 1 October, which Pinnel
accepted in full settlement of the debt. Pinnel sued Cole for the amount owed. It was held that part-
payment in itself was not consideration.
However, it was held that the agreement to accept part-payment would be binding if the debtor, at the
creditor's request, provided some fresh consideration. Consideration might be provided if the creditor
agrees to accept:
95. When, if ever, will an exemption clause be construed to cover negligence liability?
Negligence must firstly be at least ONE form of liability arising on the particular facts.
(Negligence means breach of a qualified contractual obligation and/or breach of a duty of care
in tort).
96. What approach should the court adopt to an exemption clause when a very serious or
deliberate breach of contract has occurred?
Where there has been a very serious or deliberate breach of contract it is a matter of
construction whether the exemption clause covers the breach.There is no rule of substantive
law to prevent reliance on the clause. If the clause is clearly worded, it should be taken to
cover the breach that has occurred, even if it is very serious or deliberate
97. What is a Collateral Contract?
A collateral contract is a contract where the consideration is the entry into another contract,
and co-exists side by side with the main contract. For example, a collateral contract is formed
when one party pays the other party a certain sum for entry into another contract. A
collateral contract may be between one of the parties and a third party. A party to an existing
contract may attempt to show that a collateral contract exists if their claim for a breach of
contract fails because the statement they relied upon was not held to be a term of the main
contract. It has been held that for this to be successful, the statement must have been
promissory in nature
98. What is Rescission in law of Contract?
In contract law, rescission (to rescind or set aside a contract) refers to the cancellation of the
contract between the parties. This is done to bring the parties as far as possible to the position
they were before they entered into a contract. This an equitable remedy and is discretionary.
The court may decline to rescind a contract if one party has affirmed the contract by his action
or a third party has acquired some rights or there has been substantial performance in
implementing the contract.
99. What is Specific Performance?
In the law of remedies, an order of specific performance is an order of the court which requires
a party to perform a specific act. While specific performance can be in the form of any type of
forced action, it is usually used to complete a previously established transaction, thus being the
most effective remedy in protecting the expectation interest of the innocent party to a contract.
It is the opposite of an injunction.
Orders of specific performance are granted when damages are not an adequate remedy, and in
some specific cases such as land sale. Such orders are discretionary, as with all equitable
remedies, so the availability of this remedy will depend on whether it is appropriate in the
circumstances of the case.
The mailbox rule or the postal acceptance rule is a term of common law contracts which determines
the timing of acceptance of an offer when mail is contemplated as the medium of acceptance. The
general principle is that a contract is formed when acceptance is actually communicated to the offeror.
The mailbox rule is an exception to the general principle. The mailbox rule provides that the contract is
formed when the letter of acceptance is placed in the mailbox. The mailbox rule only applies to
acceptance; other letters do not take effect until the letter is delivered as in Stevenson v McLean (1880)
5 QBD 346. The implication of this is that it is possible for a letter of acceptance to be posted after a
letter of revocation of the offer has been posted, but before it is delivered, and acceptance will be
complete at the time that the letter of acceptance was posted
2. A grocer over charged a widow by selling to her a kilogram of sugar at sh. 10,000. Advise
whether the widow has a cause of action.
3. X lost his book and announced to his classmates and promised a reward for whoever
recovered it. A security guard found the book and claimed the reward. Explain whether or not
he is entitled to the reward.
The offer of the reward was only communicated to the classmates and not to the security guard
who could not furnish acceptance in the absence of an offer. He is therefore not entitled to the
reward.
Mubeezi made an offer to sell cotton to Kiranda but misdirected the offer letter. As a result
kiranda got the letter late and posted his acceptance later than the offer letter had required.
Mubeezi had sold the cotton to a third party before acceptance reached him. Advise Kiranda
Where acceptance is communicated by post the principle is that a contract is concluded as soon
as the letter of acceptance is correctly addressed and put in a post. So the contract between
Mubeezi and Kiranda had been concluded at the point when the correctly addressed and
stamped acceptance letter had been posted.
4. Mwesigye wrote a letter to Anita offering to buy her watch and added that if he did not hear
from her, he would consider it his at the price stated in the letter. Anita did not reply to the
letter but sold the watch to a third party and has been sued for conversion. Advise ANITA
Where an offeree does not respond to an offer, he is deemed to have rejected that offer. Anita
made no reply therefore no acceptance can be said to have been communicated by her and thus
Mwesigye is not entitled to the watch.
5. Mutuuzo an infant had been studying at Kampala musical school with intention to specialize
as a violin player. He refused to join his instructor in a tour intended to improve Mutuuzo’s
skill. Advise Mutuuzo’s teacher.
An infant is bound by a contract for necessities. Mutuuzo’s teacher must therefore prove that
the tour was necessary at the time of the contract.
6. Kifaalu purchased a computer and was issued with a receipt after paying the price. Give your
opinion on whether a receipt is a contractual document.
A receipt must have been intended a contractual document and therefore an integral part of the
contract, a party cannot be bound by a clause contained in a document which a reasonable
person would assume to be no more than a receipt and thus acknowledgment of payment.
7. Kakungulu purchased a radio and signed an agreement without reading the exclusion clauses
because the letters were in very small print. Is kakungulu bound by the clauses?
When a party signs a document containing a clause, it is presumed that the party signed it after
reading the contents and is therefore bound by the provisions. Evidence of notice is irrelevant in
the absence of fraud. Therefore kakungulu was bound by the clauses.
8. Tumuhimbise’s car was stolen after she parked it in the supermarket parking yard. When she
complained, she was taken to a broken sign post at the extreme end of the perking yard and it
had the words, “park at your own risk”. Advise Tumuhumbiise
A notice should be displayed in a prominent place and should be capable of being seen and
read. The notice at the extreme end of the parking yard had not been brought to Tumuhimbise’s
attention because it was not displayed in a prominent place. The supermarket should therefore
compensate Tumuhimbise.
9. Odong an illiterate man was given a ticket which was a common form of contractual
document. It had the words “see back”. On the back it was stated that the company was
excluded from liability for injury. Was Odong bound by the conditions that he could not read?
Odong despite his inability to read was bound by the conditions on the ticket since the notice
was clear and was a common form of contractual document.
10. A owed B sh. 100000 which was to be paid at the end of two weeks. Before the two weeks
elapsed B asked A to pay sh.75,000 in satisfaction of the whole amount. B is now suing for the
whole amount. Advise A on whether he should pay the sh. 100.000
Ordinarily payment of a lesser sum on the date its due in satisfaction of a greater debt cannot
discharge the whole debt. However, according to the rule in Pinnel’s case, part payment of a
debt can only discharge the entire debt if it is done at the creditor’s request before the due day.
Since it was at A’s request that B paid 75,000 in satisfaction for the 100000, then B can not sue
for the whole amount and the end of the two weeks.
11. A Policeman deployed a police dog to track down a thief after being promised lunch by the
L.C.1 chairman. No lunch was provided. Advise the policeman.
The policeman should be able to prove that deploying the dog was outside his legal duty in
order to be able to demand for the promised lunch. He cannot sue on a contract where the act
he performed was in relation to a duty he was legally required to perform.
12. A plaintiff sued the defendant because he had given pepper as consideration yet the plaintiff
did not like pepper at all. Explain whether such consideration was valid.
A contracting party can state whatever consideration he chooses. Consideration does not cease
to be good merely because a promise does not like it. So even if the plaintiff did not like pepper,
it was still adequate and valuable to the defendant.