Introduction.The English legal system 1
A．Sources of law 1
The common law 1
Equity 3
Law reports 4
Statute law 5
European Community law 5
B．The English courts 5
C．Civil courts 6
Magistrates'courts 6
County courts 6
High Court 7
Queen's Bench Division 7
Chancery 8
Family Division 8
Appeals 8
Employment Appeal Tribunal 9
Court of Appeal 9
House of Lords 9
D．Criminal courts 10
Magistrates'courts 10
Crown Court 11
Court of Appeal 11
House of Lords 11
E．Other courts and tribunals 11
F．Procedure 13
Chapter 1．Intention and certainty 15
A．Intention 15
Advertisements 18
Honour clauses 19
Other informal agreements 20
B．Certainty 20
Agreements in principle 24
Conditional terms 25
Letters of intent and letters of comfort 26
Estimates and quotations 28
Arbitration clauses 28
Course of dealings;trade usages;implied terms 29
Conclusion 29
Danish law 31
Dutch law 32
French law 33
German law 34
Italian law 36
Spanish law 37
Swedish law 37
Chapter 2．Offer and acceptance 41
A．Offer 41
Duration of offer 44
Revocation of offer 44
B．Acceptance 44
Counter-offer 45
The battle of the forms 46
Communication of acceptance 49
Form of acceptance 51
Acceptance in unilateral contracts 52
Revocation of acceptance 53
Danish law 55
Dutch law 55
French law 56
German law 57
Italian law 59
Spanish law 60
Swedish law 60
Chapter 3．Consideration and estoppel 63
A．Valuable consideration 63
The basic rules 64
Consideration must not be past 64
Consideration must move from the promisee 66
Consideration must be sufficient.but need not be adequate 68
Insufficient consideration 70
Part payment in full settlement 72
B．The privity problem 74
Privity of contract;exceptions 75
The Contracts(Rights of Third Parties)Act,1999 75
Consumer guarantees 76
Insurance 77
Land 77
Carriage of goods by sea 78
Patents 78
Consumer credit 78
Housing 79
Agency 79
Assignment 79
Bankers'confirmed credits 80
Trusts 80
Quasi-contract 81
Restrictive covenants 81
C．Estoppel 82
Proprietary estoppel 85
Conclusion 86
Danish law 88
Dutch law 88
French law 89
German law 90
Italian law 91
Spanish law 92
Swedish law 93
Chapter 4．Writing and capacity 95
A．Writing 95
Parol evidence 98
B．Capacity 99
Corporations 99
Partnerships and sole traders 100
Minors 101
Mentally disturbed and drunken persons 102
Danish law 104
Dutch law 104
French law 105
German law 106
Italian law 107
Spanish law 108
Swedish law 109
Chapter 5．Express and implied terms,conditions,warranties and innominate terms 111
A．The express terms of the contract 111
Shipping contracts 112
Other international contracts of carriage 113
Entire agreement clauses 113
Quality and fitness of goods and services 114
Time clauses 115
Risk and retention of title clauses 118
Delivery,price and payment 118
Exclusion clauses 119
Force majeure and hardship clauses 119
Waiver clauses 120
Arbitration clauses 121
Alternative dispute resolution clauses 122
Penalty clauses 123
Choice of law clauses 123
Termination clauses 125
B．Implied terms 126
The test of necessity 127
C．Conditions and warranties 131
Innominate terms 133
Entire and severable contracts 137
Conclusion 138
Danish law 140
Dutch law 141
French law 142
German law 143
Italian law 145
Spanish law 146
Swedish law 147
Chapter 6．Quality,fitness and safety ofgoods and services 149
A．Contract 149
Acceptance 150
Rights and duties under the Sale of Goods Act 152
Title 153
Description 153
Business sales 155
Satisfactory quality 156
Reasonable fitness 159
Used goods 163
Durability 164
Sale by sample 164
Strict liability 164
Credit transactions 166
Hire and service contracts 167
B．Negligence 171
Materials 173
Design 173
Advice and warnings 175
Workmanship 175
C．Strict liability 176
D．Criminal law 179
Danish law 181
Dutch law 182
French law 182
German law 184
Italian law 186
Spanish law 187
Swedish law 188
Chapter 7．Exclusion clauses and other unfair contract terms 191
A．Exclusion clauses 191
Common law 192
Unfair Contract Terms Act 197
Defective goods 202
The test of reasonableness 203
Misrepresentations and entire agreement clauses 206
Further provisions 207
Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 209
Common law and statute 211
B．Other unfair contract terms 211
Danish law 216
Dutch law 216
French law 217
German law 218
Italian law 219
Spanish law 220
Swedish law 221
Chapter 8．Risk and retention of title 223
Ownership 223
Ascertained goods 224
Unascertained goods 228
Retention of title 230
Ownership and risk 236
Danish law 238
Dutch law 238
French law 239
German law 241
Italian law 242
Spanish law 243
Swedish law 243
Chapter 9．Delivery,price andpayment 245
A．Delivery 245
B．Price and payment 247
Export sales and letters of credit 252
Danish law 254
Dutch law 254
French law 255
German law 256
Italian law 256
Spanish law 257
Swedish law 258
Chapter 10．Mistake 259
A．Common law 259
Identity 265
Mistaken signature 265
B．Equity 266
C．Commonwealth and American rules 269
Danish law 271
Dutch law 271
French law 272
German law 273
Italian law 274
Spanish law 275
Swedish law 275
Chapter 11．Misrepresentation,duress and illegal contracts 277
A．Misrepresentation 277
Silence 280
Fiduciary relationships 281
Material reason 282
Remedies 283
Fraud 284
Negligence 284
Innocent misrepresentation 285
Misrepresentation and breach of contract 287
Exclusion clauses 287
B．Duress and undue influence 287
C．Illegal and void contracts 289
Contracts in restraint of trade 292
Conclusion 295
Danish law 296
Dutch law 296
French law 297
German law 298
Italian law 300
Spanish law 301
Swedish law 301
Chapter 12．Frustration 303
Contractual provision;force majeure and hardship clauses 304
Impossibility and impracticability 305
Effects of frustration 311
Danish law 313
Dutch law 313
French law 314
German 1aw 315
Italian law 316
Spanish law 316
Swedish law 317
Chapter 13．Remedies for breach of contract 319
A．Damages 319
Remoteness of damage 320
Mitigation 328
Anticipatory breach 330
Liquidated damages and penalty clauses 332
B．Repudiation 336
C．Specific performance 337
D．Injunctions 338
E．Time limits 339
Danish law 341
Dutch law 341
French law 342
German law 343
Italian law 345
Spanish law 346
Swedish law 347
Appendices 349
Appendix Ⅰ-Sections 10-20,34-36,Sale of Goods Act 1979 349
Appendix Ⅱ-Sections 1-14,26-29,Schedules 1 and 2,Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 359
Appendix Ⅲ-The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 368
Appendix Ⅳ-United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods 1980 376
Index 401