Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Principle: An agreement without free consent can be enforced only at the option of the party whose consent was not free.
Facts: A obtains the consent of B to enter into an agreement by putting a gun on the head of B‘s girlfriend.
Options
B can enforce the agreement.
B cannot enforce the agreement.
A can enforce the agreement.
Neither A nor B can enforce the agreement.
Advertisements
Solution 1
B can enforce the agreement.
Explanation:
For the free consent under section 14 of the Indian Contract Act, when it is not caused by
i. Coercion as under Section 15
ii. Undue influences as Section 16
iii. Fraud as defined Section 17
iv. Misrepresentation as defined Section 18
v. Mistake subject to provision of Section 20, 21 & 22
The reasonable conclusion is drawn that as the consent B is not free, B can enforce the agreement.
Solution 2
B can enforce the agreement.
Explanation:
In this case, B can enforce the contract even if the contract was given under the pressure of gunpoint, that is, there was no free will. The enforceability is based on the principle that the agreement can be enforced only at the option of the party whose consent was not free. In other words, B did not have the free will when the contract was entered into, but he has the option to enforce it, that is, B can enforce it.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
Legal Principle: A characteristic feature of partnerships is the principle of mutual agency, i.e., every partner is an agent for every other partner and will hence be able to bind them by his act, within the business of the partnership.
Fact Situation: Ram and Shyam are partners of M/s R & S Trading Company which trades in rice varieties. Ram agrees to purchase ten tons of rice from Govind. Ram dies after the rice is delivered to the premises of M/s R & S Trading Company but before the payment of the price is made. Is the agreement binding on Shyam?
Which of the following statements is the most appropriate in relation to the legal principle stated above?
Apply the legal principles to the facts given below and select the most appropriate answer.
Legal Principles:
- Offer is a proposal made by one person to another to do any act or abstain from doing it. The person who makes the offer is known as the promisor or offeror and the person to whom an offer is made is known as the promisee or the offeree.
- A contract comes into being by the acceptance of an offer. When the person to whom the offer is made signifies his consent thereto, the proposal is said to be accepted and the parties are at consensus ad idem regarding the terms of the agreement.
Factual Situation: Tejas drove his car to a car park named Super Car Park (SCP).Outside the car park, the prices were displayed and a notice stated cars were parked at the owner's risk. An automatic ticket vending machine provided a ticket, a barrier was raised and Tejas parked his car. In small print on the ticket, it was stated that the ticket is issued subject to conditions displayed on the premises. On a pillar opposite to the machine was a notice stating the owners would not be liable for any injuries occurring on their premises. Tejas met with an accident and sought damages from SCP. SCP denied any liability on the basis of the exclusion clause which was mentioned in the notice on the pillar. Whether there are an offer and acceptance of the exclusion clause?
Given below is a statement of legal principle followed by a factual situation. Apply the principle to the facts and select the most appropriate answer.
Principle: A contract without consideration is void. When at the desire of one party the other party does something, the consideration is said to flow from the latter to the former.
Facts: A's house was .on fire and a child was trapped inside the house. Everyone was shouting for help. A brave onlooker, hearing the shrieks of a child, went inside the house and brought him out. The father of the child promised to pay the rescuer Rs.10,000. Subsequently, he backtracked his promise. The rescuer sued the promise for the breach.
The following question consists of two statements, one labeled as ‘Assertion’ (A) and other as ‘Reason’ (R). You are to examine these two statements carefully and select the correct answer.
Assertion (A): A void contract is not necessarily illegal
Reason (R): Every illegal contract is void.
The question consists of legal propositions/principles (hereinafter referred to as 'principle') and facts. These principles have to be applied to the given facts to arrive at the most reasonable conclusion. Such principles may or may not be true in the real sense, yet you have to conclusively assume them to be true. In other words, in answering the following question, you must not rely on any principles except the principle that is given hereinbelow for the question. Further, you must not assume any facts other than those stated in the question. The objective of this section is to test your interest in the study of law, research aptitude, and problem-solving ability.
Principle: An agreement may be oral or written. However, if a law specifically required that an agreement must be in writing, then the agreement must be in writing. A law specifically requires that the agreements relating to the transfer of the copyright in the novel between an author of a novel and the producer of a motion picture must be in writing.
Facts: The author of a novel, Love at Lost Sight, had several rounds of discussion with a producer of motion picture regarding the making a motion picture based on Love at Lost Sight. During the last discussion, they decided to make a motion picture on Love at Lost Sigh. The producer made a motion picture on Love at Lost Sight after making a payment of ₹10,00,000 (ten Lac only) in cash to the author, who happily accepted this amount as full and final payment. Later on, on the advice of his lawyer, whose author brought a case in a court of law against the producer on the ground that there is no written agreement between the producer and him.
Given below is a statement of legal principle followed by a factual situation. Apply the principle to the facts given below and select the most appropriate answer.
LEGAL PRINCIPLE: When at the desire of the promisor, the promisee has done or abstained from doing, or does or abstains from doing, or promises to do or abstain something, such an act or abstinence or promise is called a consideration for the promise.
FACTUAL SITUATION: A daughter promises to give maintenance to her uncle in consideration of her mother making a gift of certain properties to her. The daughter pleads a lack of consideration when the uncle seeks to enforce the contract. She says that the uncle is a stranger to the consideration and so he cannot enforce the contract. The daughter
DECISION:
Principle: Acceptance (of the offer) must be communicated by the offeree to the offerer so as to give rise to a binding obligation. The expression 'by the offeree to the offerer' includes communication between their authorised agents.
Facts 'X' made an offer to buy Y's property for a stipulated price. 'Y' accepted it and communicated his acceptance to 'Z', a stranger.
Which of the following derivations is correct?
LEGAL PRINCIPLE: An agreement is void if its object is unlawful.
FACTUAL SITUATION: Sunil had a rich uncle who owned prime property in Chennai and had a lot of money in the bank. Being the only heir. Sunil was sure that he would inherit the property. One day, the uncle called him to his room and announced that he planned to marry again. This angered Sunil and he plans to murder his uncle so he hired Anuj, a murderer, and entered into a contract with him to kill his uncle. Sunil agreed to pay ₹10 lakhs to Anuj and even paid 5 lakhs as advance. The following night Anuj entered the uncle's house intending to kill him. On reaching there, he realised that Sunil's uncle was already dead so he left without doing anything. The next day, after the post mortem report, it transpired that Sunil's uncle had died due to heart attack. Now, Sunil wants to recover the advance from Anuj. Will he succeed?
DECISION:
Given below is a statement of legal principle followed by a factual situation. Apply the principle to the facts given below and select the most appropriate answer.
Legal Principle: Article 19(1) (d) of the Constitution of India guarantees to all citizens the right to move freely throughout the territory of India. But at the same time, Article 19(5) empowers the State to impose reasonable restrictions on the freedom of movement on the ground of interest of the general public.
Factual Situation: Wearing of the helmet is made compulsory for all two-wheeler riders by a law enacted by the State. The constitutionality of the law is questioned before the High Court on the ground that it violates Article 19(1)(d) of the petitioner. Will the petitioner succeed?
Decision:
Principle: Property consists of the right to possess, the right to use, the right to alienate, and the right to exclude others. The sale is complete when the property gets transferred from the seller to the buyer.
Facts: ‘A’ sold his car to ‘B.’ B requested A to keep the car in his care on behalf B for one month. A agreed.
