Contract Law in Perspective complements 'black letter' treatments of contract by looking at legal doctrine and statutes in their social, political and economic contexts. It increases students' understanding of the law of contract as well as convinces them why it is so important to us all. In addition to describing the key doctrines in the field, it explains the ideology behind them and considers the extent to which they serve the needs of the business community and consumers. The book broadens understanding and appreciation of the subject by reference to the 'big ideas' in contract theory and how these relate to practice at a level which is suitable for students. This fifth edition: has been substantially revised and now includes sections on privity and the Rights of Third Parties Act as well as a discussion of the Law Commision's Unfair Terms in Contract draft bill includes new chapter introductions and summaries designed to help students identify the key points and reflect on what they have learnt provides advice on further reading pointing students towards sources for more detailed study now includes additional self-test questions for students at the end of each chapter to enable them to consolidate and practice at regular intervals.

“One of the most important contributions to the field of contract theory—if not the most important—in the past 25 years.” —Stephen A. Smith, McGill University Can we account for contract law on a moral basis that is acceptable from the standpoint of liberal justice? To answer this question, Peter Benson develops a theory of contract that is completely independent of—and arguably superior to—long-dominant views, which take contract law to be justified on the basis of economics or promissory morality. Through a detailed analysis of contract principles and doctrines, Benson brings out the specific normative conception underpinning the whole of contract law. Contract, he argues, is best explained as a transfer of rights, which is complete at the moment of agreement and is governed by a definite conception of justice—justice in transactions. Benson’s analysis provides what John Rawls called a public basis of justification, which is as essential to the liberal legitimacy of contract as to any other form of coercive law. The argument of Justice in Transactions is expressly complementary to Rawls’s, presenting an original justification designed specifically for transactions, as distinguished from the background institutions to which Rawls’s own theory applies. The result is a field-defining work offering a comprehensive theory of contract law. Benson shows that contract law is both justified in its own right and fully congruent with other domains—moral, economic, and political—of liberal society.

This book approaches contract law from its social, political and economic context and by doing so aims to broaden understanding and appreciation of the subject at a level which is suitable for students. Legal and business perspectives are introduced, as are some sociological and economic ideas and influences.

This book deals with the contractual platform for arbitration and the application of contractual norms to the parties' dispute. Arbitration and agreement are inter-linked in three respects: (i) the agreement to arbitrate is itself a contract; (ii) there is scope (subject to clear consensual exclusion) in England for monitoring the arbitral tribunal's fidelity and accuracy in applying substantive English contract law; (iii) the subject-matter of the arbitration is nearly always a ‘contractual’ matter. These three elements underlie this work. They appear as Part I (arbitration is founded on agreement), Part II (monitoring accuracy), Part III (synopsis of the English contractual rules frequently encountered within arbitration). The book will be a useful resource to foreign lawyers or English non-lawyers, English lawyers seeking a succinct discussion, and to arbitral tribunals.​

National legal systems have their own principles and rules on contract law. The trans-nationalization of trade and legal practice involves acting in the context of legal diversity. This book provides an introductory overview of the main issues of contract law from a comparative perspective, focusing on the legal traditions of civil law and common law. Featuring short theoretical overviews, followed by cases selected from various jurisdictions, the book shows the concrete application of the principles and rules involved. Civil law and common law represent two different models of dealing with contract law issues. The book focuses on the French, German, and Italian experiences and on the English legal system, the latter being the main source of inspiration for other common law countries, with some significant exceptions. Topics covered include the structure of contract law and the rules about its formation and interpretation, the role of pre-contractual negotiations, the consequences of mistakes, and breach and supervening events (including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic). Readers will learn about common problems that are faced when contracting with parties coming from different jurisdictions, whilst also acquiring a deeper understanding of the approach of their own legal system. This book will be key reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of comparative contract law, and contract law more generally.

This book explores commercial contract law in scholarship and legal practice, suggests new research agendas and provides a forum for debate of typical issues that might benefit from further attention by scholarship and legislatures. The authors from over ten different jurisdictions take an international and comparative approach. Not confined to EU law it re-opens the debate internationally and seeks to reclaim the wider meaning of European law as rooted in geography and cultural legal heritage. There is a need to focus on commercial contracts in more detail in research and legislation. The transactional approach, the role of recent law reform, including the new French Civil Code, cross-border dealings, substantive contract law in public international law and ICSID arbitration as well as current contractual practices like OEM, CSR, contractual co-operation, sustainability and intra-corporate arbitration contribute to a wider regulatory outlook for commercial transactions.

Contract Law: Cases and Materials presents a selection of well-chosen cases and illuminating commentary ideal for introducing students to the study of contract law in Australia. Developed to accompany Stewart, Swain and Fairweather's Contract Law: Principles and Context, this casebook maintains the accessibility of the principles text while providing the depth and analysis of topics required to learn contract law. Following the structure of the principles text, this text explores areas not traditionally covered in other casebooks, such as resolving disputes, preparing to make a contract, preliminary agreements, and interpreting contracts. Each chapter also briefly explores contracts in international contexts. Containing well-chosen, carefully curated cases and extracts, Contract Law: Cases and Materials takes a practical approach to student learning and integrates rich pedagogy to build critical thinking and analysis skills, making it an invaluable resource for contract law students.