1 Theoretical Issues Raised by the Privity Question&Peter Kincaid 1
Private or Public Justice 1
Flexible v.Formal Reasoning 2
Pragmatism v.Principle 3
Nature and Source of a Third-Party Right 4
Rights and Duties：the Question of Focus 5
Remedies 6
2 Summaries of Essays&Peter Kincaid 7
Chapter 3：Robert Flarmigan，“Privity-The End of an Era (Error)” 7
Chapter 4 9
(Part A)：Peter Kincaid，“Privity and Private Justice in Contract” 9
(Part B)：Peter Kincaid，“Privity Reform in England” 10
Chapter 5：Sir Anthony Mason，“Privity-A Rule in Search of Decent Burial？” 11
Chapter 6：Catherine Mitchell，“Searching for the Principles behind Privity Reform” 13
Chapter 7：Roger Brownsword and Dale Hutchison，“Beyond Promissory Principle and Protective Pragmatism” 14
Chapter 8：Stephen A.Smith，“Contracts for the Benefit of Third Parties：in Defence of the Third-Party Rule” 16
Chapter 9：Melvin Aron Eisenberg，“The Third-Party Beneficiary Principle” 18
Chapter 10：John Gava，“Is Privity Worth Defending？” 19
Chapter 11：John Swan，“The Rights of Third Parties to Contracts：A Suggested Basis for Recognition” 20
Chapter 12：Simon Whittaker，“Reciprocity Beyond Privity” 22
Chapter 13：J.L.R. Davis，“Privity and Exclusion Clauses” 24
Chapter 14：Anthony Jon Waters，“Privity，Property，and Pragmatism” 26
3 Privity-The End of an Era (Error) 28
Robert Flannigan 29
The Early Cases 29
Privity or Consideration？ 32
The Entrenchment of the Doctrine of Privity 34
The Modem Cases 38
Privity Pro and Con 40
Privity and Contract Theory 48
Conclusion 59
4a Privity and Private Justice in Contract 60
Peter Kincaid 60
Introduction 60
The Law Commission’s Proposals 61
The Law Commission’s Justifications 63
Issues Raised by Justifications 71
Conclusion 80
4b Privity Reform in England&&Peter Kincaid 82
5 Privity-A Rule in Search of Decent Burial？&Sir Anthony Mason 88
The Nature of the Privity Rule 88
The Purpose of the Privity Rule 88
Suggested Justifications for the Rule 91
The Rule is not Accepted or has been Modified Elsewhere 93
The Justification for Departing from the Rule 94
Other Reasons for Departing from the Rule 95
Trust of the Third-Party Promise 97
Complexity，Artificiality and Uncertainty 97
Adverse Consequences for Commercial Activities 98
Criticisms of the Case for Departing from the Rule 98
Other Criticisms of Reform 100
Conditions According to which Third-Party Enforcement is Permitted 102
Conclusion 103
6 Searching for the Principles Behind Privity Reform&Catherine Mitchell 104
Introduction 104
The Proposals for Reform 108
The Law Commission Proposals and the Orthodox Account of Contractual Obligation 109
Can the Orthodox Account Justify Third-Party Rights in Contract？ 114
The Crystallisation Test 120
The Law Commission and the Modem Account of Contractual Obligations 121
Conclusion 124
7 Beyond Promissory Principle and Protective Pragmatism&Roger Brownsword and Dale Hutchison 126
1. Introduction 126
2. From Bilateral to Trilateral Promissory Situations 128
3. The South African Regime 132
4. The New English Regime 142
5. Conclusion 145
8 In Defence of the Third-Party Rule&Stephen A.Smith 147
1. The Third-Party Rule Defined and Defended 148
2. The Real Problems in Privity Cases 155
3. The Law Commission’s Reform Proposals 166
4. Conclusion 170
9 The Third-Party Beneficiary Principle&Melvin Aron Eisenberg 172
Introduction 172
1. The Principle Governing Enforceability of Contracts by Third-Party Beneficiaries 173
2. Some Recurring Third-Party-Beneficiary Categories 185
Conclusion 198
10 Is Privity Worth Defending？&John Gava 199
Functionalism and Contract 201
Functionalism and Legal History 203
Contract in the Marketplace 209
Can Judges be Good Functionalists？ 215
Contract as Part of the Common Law Constitutional Heritage 222
Does it Matter that Contract does not Matter？ 226
Contract and Turbo-Capitalism 229
Conclusion 232
11 The Rights of Third Parties to Contracts：A Suggested Basis for Recognition&John Swan 233
1. Introduction 233
2. The Practical Pattern 235
3. A Principle for Recognition？ 246
4. Conclusion 257
12 Reciprocity Beyond Privity&Simon Whittaker 259
1. Leasehold Covenants 263
2. Transferring Contracts of Employment 265
3. Undisclosed Principals 269
4. Package Holidays 271
5. The Death of the Parties：Privity and Personal Representatives 273
6. Freehold Covenants 274
7. A General Principle of Benefit and Burden Beyond Privity？ 277
Conclusion 281
13 Privity and Exclusion Clauses&J.L.R. Davis 284
Introduction 284
The Benefit of an Exclusion Clause 285
The Burden of an Exclusion Clause 302
Conclusion 307
14 Privity，Property，and Pragmatism&Anthony Jon Waters 309
1. The History of the American Rule 310
2. Why the Need for a General Rule？ 318
3. Can a Fuzzy Set of Reasons Constitute a Coherent Concoction？And Does It Matter？ 320
4. Public and Private 325
5. The Nature of Contract 327
Conclusion 331
Appendix：Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 337
Bibliography 343
Cases 351
Statutes 359
Index 360