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Capacity of parties - Sec 1111. Who are competent to contract
Every person is competent to contract who is of the age of majority according to the law to which he is subject, and who is sound mind and is not disqualified from contracting by any law to which he is subject.
Contd -A person is incompetent to contract under
the following circumstances:1. If he is a minor2. If he is of unsound mind3. If he is disqualified from contracting by any
law to which he is subject
MinorPerson domiciled in India, who is under 18
years of age.Law protects minor’s rights because they are
not mature and may not possess the capacity to judge what is good or what is bad
Position of minor’s agreement
Validity – An agreement with a minor is void-ab-intioCase – Mohiri Bibee vs Dharmdas Ghosh
Position of persons of unsound mindWho is a person of unsound mind
Sec 12 - A person is said to be of sound mind for the purpose of making a contract, if at the time when he makes it, he is capable – (a) to understand the terms of the contract. (b) to form a rational judgment as to its effect upon
his interests Ex ; idiots, lunatic, drunken person
Position of agreements with persons of unsound mindPersons of unsound
mind
1. Lunatic
(a) while he is of unsound mind
Capacity to contract
He cannot enter into any contract. Any agreement entered into by him during this period is altogether void and he cannot be held liable thereon.
Contd-b) While he is of sound
mind
(II) Idiots
He can enter into a valid contract and he is liable for such contract.
He cannot enter into any contract. Any agreement entered by him is void and he is liable thereon.
ContdDrunken person He cannot contract
while such delirium or drunkness lasts
Persons disqualified by lawAlien enemies – cannot enter into any
contractsForeign sovereigns and ambassadors –
can enter into contracts enforce those contracts in our courts but cannot be sued in our courts without the sanction
of the central government
Convicts – Cannot enter into any contract during the period of the sentence
Contd -Company –
Contractual capacity is determined by the ‘object clause’ of the memorandum of association.
Any act done in excess of the power given is ultra vires [(i.e) beyond the power] and hence void.
Insolvent –Cannot sue and be sued. Cannot enter into contracts relating to his
property. When the insolvent is discharged the
disqualification is removed.
ConsiderationWithout which no single promise is
enforceableA technical term used in the sense of quid
pro quo (ie, something in return).When a party promises to do something
he must get ‘something in return’. This something is defined as consideration.
Section 2(d)“When at the desire of the promisor, the
promisee or any other person has done or abstained from doing, or does or abstains from doing, or promises to do or abstain from doing something, such act or abstinence or promise is called a consideration for the promise”.
Contd -
Ex – X promises to deliver the goods to Y and Y promises to pay Rs 1000 on delivery. In this case, the consideration for each of these promises is as under:For X’s promise - Y’s promise to pay Rs 1000
on deliveryFor Y’s promise – X’s promise to deliver the
goods
Essential elementsMove at the desire of the promisor – An act
constituting consideration must have been done at the desire or request of the promisor.Case – Durga Prasad vs Baldeo
May move from any person – immaterial as to who furnishes the considerationCase – Chinnayya vs Ramayya
Contd -It may be past present or future It must be of some value.It must be real and not illusorySomething other than the promisor’s existing
obligation Case – Ramachandra Chintamana vs Kala
Raju
Stranger to contractA stranger to consideration – can sue
because the consideration can be furnished or supplied by any person whether he is a promisee or not
A stranger to the contract - cannot sue because of the absence of the privity of the contractCase – Dunlop P tyre Co ltd vs Selfridge&Co
Ltd
Contracts without consideration(Exceptions to general rule,no consideration, no contract )Agreements made on account of natural love
and affectionPromise to compensate for past voluntary
servicePromise to pay a time barred debtCompleted giftAgency
Elements of valid consideration
Free consent It is essential to the creation of the contract
that the parties are ad idem,ie, they agree upon the same thing in the same sense at the same time and their consent is free and real.
Consent means an act of assenting to an offer.
Sec 13“Two or more persons are said to consent
when they agree upon the same thing in the same sense.”
Effect of absence of consent – When there is no consent at all, the agreement is void ab-intio, ie, it is not enforceable at the option of either party.
Free consentSec 14
Consent is said to be free when it is not caused by (a) coercion (b)undue influence (c)fraud (d)misrepresentation or (e) mistake
No free consent – contract is usually voidable
Contd-
CoercionSec 15
A contract is said to be caused by coercion if it is obtained by (a) committing any act which is forbidden by the
Indian Penal Code (b) threatening to commit any act which is
forbidden by the Indian Penal Code (c) Unlawful detaining of any property (d) threatening to detain any property
CaseCase 1Ranganayakam vs Alwar Shetty, (1889) 13
Mad 214The relatives of a young widow threatened
her that they would not allow her to cremate the dead body of her husband unless she consented to the adoption of a boy as her son.
Held: The adoption is not binding on her on account of coercion
CaseMuttiah Chettiar vs Koruppen Chetty(1927) 50 Mad 786A person secured a release from liabilities
from his principal by refusing to hand over the books of account. The release deed was held to be voidable of the option of the principal.
Effect of coercion: Contract is voidable at the option of the party whose consent has been caused by coercion.
Undue influenceDominating the will of the other person to obtain
an unfair advantage over the otherSometimes the parties to the agreement are
related in such a way that one of them is able to dominate the will of the other.
It creates a mental or moral fear created by coercion. Consequently the party on whom undue influence is exercised is indirectly compelled to enter into the contract
Ex: A, having money advanced money to his son B during his minority, upon B’s coming of age, obtains by parental influence, a bond from B for a greater amount than the sum due in respect of the advance. A employs undue influence
Fraud-Sec 17 "Fraud" means and includes any of the following acts
committed by a party to a contract, or with his connivance, or by his agent, with intent to deceive another party thereto of his agent, or to induce him to enter into the contract:-
(1) the suggestion, as a fact, of that which is not true, by one who does not believe it to be true;
(2) the active concealment of a fact by one having knowledge or belief of the fact;
(3) a promise made without any intention of performing it (4) any other act fitted to deceive; (5) any such act or omission as the law specially declares to
be fraudulent.
Contd-Explanation.- Mere silence as to facts
likely to affect the willingness of a person to enter into a contract is not fraud, unless the circumstances of the case are such that, regard being had to them, it is the duty of the person keeping silence to speak, or unless his silence is, in itself, equivalent to speech.
Illustrations
a) A sells, by auction, to B, a horse which A knows to be unsound. A says nothing to B about the horse's unsoundness. This is not fraud in A.
(b) B is A's daughter and has just come of age. Here, the relation between the parties would make it A's duty to tell B if the horse, is unsound.
Contd-(c) B says to A - "If you do not deny it, I shall
assume that the horse is sound." A says nothing. Here, A's silence is equivalent to speech.
(d) A and B, being traders, enter upon a contract. A has private information of a change in prices which would affect B's willingness to proceed with the contract. A is not bound to inform B.
EffectSuit for recissionSuit for damages for fraud
Right of recession lost if—Affirmation of the contract even after
becoming aware of the fraud
MisrepresentationA false representation of fact made
innocently or non-disclosure of a material fact without the intention to deceive the other party
Aggrieved party can avoid or rescind the contract
Contd-Ex: A tells B, without checking records, that
in his factory 1000 tons of indigo is manufactured every month. A believes his assessment to be true. The actual production is found to be only 830 tons. A is guilty of misrepresentation.
Effect: Right to rescind the contract
MISTAKEErroneous belief about somethingMistake of lawMistake of fact
Mistake
Sec21. Effect of mistakes as to law A contract is not voidable because it was
caused by a mistake as to any law in force in India; but a mistake as to a law not in force in [India] has the same effect as a mistake of fact.
IllustrationA and B make a contract grounded on the
erroneous belief that a particular debt is barred by the Indian Law of Limitation: the contract is not voidable.
Legality of the object and considerationObject and consideration of contract must
be lawful, otherwise the agreement is voidConsideration or object of contract is
unlawful in the following cases:(a) If it is forbidden by law(b) If it defeats the provision of any law(c) If it is fraudulent(d) If the court regards it as immoral or
opposed to public policy
Agreements opposed to the public policyAgreements of trading with the enemyAgreement of stifling prosecutionAgreement in restraint of paternal rightsAgreement in restraint of personal libertyAgreements in restraint of trade
Other essentials Certainty of meaning – terms of contract
must be unambiguousPossibility of performance – An agreement
to do an impossible act is void Legal formalities - Must comply with
necessary formalities like writing, registration and stamping