Transcript for:
Overview of Business Law and Contracts

Title: BUSINESS LAW URL Source: blob://pdf/4dd5d4b2-3b6a-49aa-ba76-bd36d11a8e46 Markdown Content: 1 Copyright of Almacrest International College. All rights reserved. BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 01/08/2017 What is contract? Section 2(h) of the Contract Act 1950 (CA 1950 ): An agreement enforceable by law is a contract . A contract is a legally binding agreement enforceable in a court of law . However, not every agreement between two parties is a legally binding contract or legally enforceable . Legally enforceable means that a court will say that an agreement is a contract . > 2 # CONTRACT > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 Some agreements are not contract because they lack certain essential elements . In order to create a valid contract, there must be : 1. Offer 2. Acceptance 3. Consideration 4. Intention to create legal relation 5. Certainty 6. Legal capacity > 3 ## ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer Section 38(1) of CA 1950 The parties to a contract must either perform, or offer to perform , their respective promises , unless the performance is dispensed with or excused under this Act, or of any other law . Section 2(a) of CA 1950 When one person signifies to another his willingness to do or to abstain from doing anything , with a view to obtaining the assent of that other to the act or abstinence, he is said to make a proposal . > 4 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 An offer is a promise by the offeror to be bound in a contract on particular terms if there is a proper acceptance of the offer by the offeree . Offeror : Person making the offer . Offeree : Person who accepts the offer . Simple Example John : I will sell you this book for 10. Hana : I agree . We have an offer and an acceptance . John is the offeror . Hana is the offeree . > 5 Offeror Offeree > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 It cannot be ambiguous or unclear . It must be spelled out in terms that are specific and certain, such as the identity and nature of the object which is being offered and under what conditions and/or terms it is offered . > 6 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 HOWEVER some types of statement are NOT offer. Statement of intention Supply of Information Invitation to treat > 7 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 01/08/2017 INVITATION TO TREAT This is an invitation to others to make offers . In other words, you are asking other people to make an offer to you . Some common examples of invitations to treat :- 1. Goods displayed in a shop window ; 2. Goods displayed on the shelf of a self -service shop ; 3. A public advertisement 4. A share prospectus 5. Auction > 8 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 INVITATION TO TREAT Display on goods in a shop as in advertisement generally DOES NOT constitute offer to sell . > 9 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 01/08/2017 10 INVITATION TO TREAT The shop -owner merely holds himself prepared to consider offer made to him at the suggested prices . The invitation is not capable of being accepted as it is not a proposal . The offer is in fact made by the customer when he or she selects the desired goods for payment at the counter . > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer Shop owner Buyer OFFEROR? OFFEREE? > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 INVITATION TO TREAT Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v. Booth Cash Chemist Ltd [1953]1 QB 401 Issue: Whether Boots has committed an offence under a law that prohibits the sale of medicine without the presence of a pharmacist . > 11 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 INVITATION TO TREAT Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v. Booth Cash Chemist Ltd [1953]1 QB 401 Fact of case: Boots operates a self -service system . Customers select items from the shelves and bring them to the cashier . At the cashiers desk there was a pharmacist on duty . If the sale is considered to have taken place when a customer picks up an item form the shelves, then Boots has committed the offence . BUT if the sale only took place at the cashiers counter, then Boots would not be liable . > 12 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 INVITATION TO TREAT Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v. Booth Cash Chemist Ltd [1953]1 QB 401 Judgment: A display of goods on the shelves is an invitation to treat . A customer who brings an item to the cashier makes an offer to buy the item . Therefore sale only takes place at the cashiers counter when the cashier accepts the customers offer to buy the item . Since there was a pharmacist at the cashiers counter, Boots had not committed an offence . > 13 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 1 ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT OFFER Placing the goods on the cashiers counter The cashier takes the goods and scans the barcode Paying for the goods. You offer to buy the goods. This makes you the offeror . The cashier takes the goods and scans the barcode. The shop is the offeree . You give consideration or value for the contract of purchase > 14 > Copyright of Almacrest International > College. All rights reserved. > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All rights reserved. BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 01/08/2017 TO WHOM CAN OFFER BE MADE? A proposal can either be made to a particular person or to the general public . Where it is made to a particular person, it appears that only the addressee may accept the offer . Section 2(b) CA 1950 when the person to whom the proposal is made signifies his assent thereto, the proposal is said to be accepted: a proposal, when accepted, becomes a promise On the other hand, where it is made to the general public, then anyone who meets all the terms of proposal may accept . > 15 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 TO WHO CAN OFFER BE MADE? Carlill v. Smoke Ball Co. [1983]1 QB 256, Fact of case: The defendant advertised that they would offer a sum of money to anyone who would still succumb to influenza after using certain product according to the instructions for a fixed period . The plaintiff duly used the product advertised but, nevertheless, became ill . The plaintiff, upon refusal of the defendants to honour their promise, proceeds to sue them . Judgment: The plaintiff has accepted the offer of the company made to the world at large and is, therefore, entitled to the money . > 16 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 KNOWLEDGE OF THE OFFER You have to know about the offer before you can accept it . If you find my lost dog and return it without knowing that I had offered to pay 100 to the person who found it, then you cannot later claim the reward when a friend tells you about it . > 17 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 1. Offer > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 1. What is Contract? 2. List down the elements of a contract. 3. Offer is a ________ by the offeror . 4. i) Offeror is the person who __________. ii) Offeree is the person who ___________. 5. Offer must not be ___________ and ambiguous. 6. What is an invitation to treat? 7. List down some of the common example of invitation to treat. > 18 Copyright of Almacrest International College. All rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 Section 2(b) of the Contracts Act 1950 :When the person to whom the proposal is made signifies his assent thereto, the proposal is said to have been accepted A proposal when accepted, becomes a promise . Section 9 of the Contracts Act 1950 : So far as the acceptance of any promise is made in words , the acceptance is said to be expressed . If the acceptance is made other than in words, the acceptance is said to be implied . > 19 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 2. Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 ACCEPTANCE MUST BE ABSOLUTE Section 7of the Contracts Act 1950: In order to convert a proposal into a promise the acceptance must a) be absolute and unqualified ; b) be expressed in some usual and reasonable manner, unless the proposal prescribes the manner in which it is to be accepted . If the proposal prescribes a manner in which it is to be accepted, and the acceptance is not made in that manner, the proposer may, within a reasonable time after the acceptance is communicated to him, insist that his proposal shall be accepted in the prescribed manner, and not otherwise ; but, if he fails to do so, he accepts the acceptance . > 20 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 2. Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 Section 7(a) - Acceptance must be absolute Lau Brothers & Co v China Pacific Navigation Co. Ltd [1965] 1 MLJ 1 Negotiations for the delivery of logs were conducted through a series of telegram and letters . Whilst still in the negotiating stage, the defendants withdrew . Issue: Was there a binding contract between the two parties . Judgment: The parties were still in a state of negotiation and no agreement was formed . Therefore, the defendants were justified in withdrawing . 21 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 2. Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 Acceptance must be expressed in some usual and reasonable manner Section 7(b) of the CA1950: > 22 Manner of acceptance: Down payment of RM50k B only pay RM30k to accept the offer A B A may insist B to pay the rest of RM 20 k. BUT if A failed to insist, A accepted the acceptance of RM 30 k > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 2. Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 2. Acceptance Once the offeree accepts the offer the contract is made . After that, the offeror CANNOT withdraw the offer and the offeree CANNOT withdraw the acceptance . The acceptance must agree to the terms of the contract . The acceptance cannot try to introduce new terms . If the offeree tries to change the terms of the offer in the acceptance, then this is not an acceptance, it is a counter -offer . > 23 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 2. Acceptance COUNTER -OFFER A counter -offer rejects the offer . The position of the two parties is reversed . The offeree becomes the offeror and the offeror becomes the offeree . Hyde v. Wrench, [1840] 3 Bea 334; 49 ER 132 . Fact of case: Wrench offered to sell his farm for 1,000 .Hyde offered 950 .Wrench rejected this . Hyde then told Wrench he would accept Wrenchs original offer . However, the court said there was not contract . The counter - offer of 950 ended the offer of 1,000 so it could no longer be accepted . That meant Hyde was now making a new offer to buy the farm for 1,000 .Wrench could choose to accept or reject this . > 24 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 COUNTER -OFFER Hyde v. Wrench, [1840] 3 Bea 334; 49 ER 132 . Issue : If one party makes an offer and the offeree makes a counter offer, does the original offer remain open? Judgment: No . A counteroffer negates the original offer . To constitute a valid contract there must be a simple acceptance of the terms proposed . Hyde rejected the defendants offer to sell and made a counter proposal which terminated the offer . The offer was never accepted and cannot be revived later . > 25 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: 2. Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 A proposal may be withdrawn in any of the following ways : 1. Communicating the notice of revocation by the offeror to the offeree . 2. The time prescribed in the proposal for its acceptance elapses . 3. Failure of the offeree to fulfill a condition in the offer 4. The death or mental disorder of the offerror IF the fact that the offerors death or mental disorder comes to the knowledge of the offeree before acceptance . > 26 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: Revocation of Offer and Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 Revocation must be communicated in order to be effective. Section 6(a) of the CA 1950 : A proposal is revoked by the communication of notice of revocation by the proposer to the other party . Section 4(3)(b) of the CA 1950 : The communication of a revocation is complete as against the person to whom it is made, when it comes to his knowledge . > 27 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: Revocation of Offer and Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 Revocation must be communicated in order to be effective. Section 5(1) of the CA 1950 : A proposal may be revoked at any time before the communication of its acceptance is complete as against the proposer, but not afterwards . Section 5(2) of the CA 1950 : An acceptance may be revoked at any time before the communication of the acceptance is complete as against the acceptor, but not afterwards . > 28 > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: Revocation of Offer and Acceptance > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT: Revocation of Offer and Acceptance A proposes to sell his house to B by a letter sent by post . B accepts the proposal by a letter sent by post . A may revoke his proposal at any time before OR at the moment when B posts his letter of acceptance, but not afterwards . B may revoke his acceptance at any time before OR at the moment when his letter reaches A, but not afterwards . > 29 # B # A > Copyright of Almacrest International College. All > rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 1. A ________ when accepted, becomes a promise. 2. If acceptance of any promise is made ________, the acceptance is said to be expressed. 3. Acceptance must be expressed in some usual and _________. 4. If one party makes an offer and the offeree makes a counter offer, does the original offer remain open? 5. List down 4 ways a proposal can be withdrawn. > 30 Copyright of Almacrest International College. All rights reserved. > BLAW / LAW2013 REV 00 > 01/08/2017 1. Lee Mei Pheng , Ivan Jeron Detta (2022), Business Law, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press. > 2. Dr Loganathan Krishnan, Parimaladevi Rajoo , Anne Chrishanthani Vergis (2022), Principles of Business and Corporate Law, Malaysia, 4th Edition, CCH Malaysia. > 3. Contracts Act 1950 (Act 136) > 4. Federal Constitution > 5. Civil Law Act 1965 (Act 67) > 6. Subordinate Courts Act 1948 (Act 92), Subordinate Courts (Amendment) Act 2010 > 7. Courts of Judicature Act 1964 (Act 91)