Contract Law
Essay title: Contract Law
A contract may be defined as an agreement between two or more parties that is intended to be legally binding. The essential elements of a contract are: offer, acceptance, consideration (not required for contracts under seal), intention to be bound, mutuality, capacity and legality. Graw (2002 p. 34)
Some of the issues present in this case will have to be addressed and some questions will have to be answered in order to determine if Wens and Jos conducts constituted to a contract. In my opinion, the elements of offer, acceptance and intent to be bound present the main issues to this case. Therefore, the discussion, essentially, will be on these three elements.
An agreement consists of an offer and acceptance. At least two parties are required; one of them, the offeror, makes an offer which the other, the offeree, accepts. Moreover, there should be a strong promise or intent that will become binding on the offeror as soon as it is accepted by the offeree. Graw (2002 p. 25)
Wens promise to sell laptops to Jo
In my opinion, there was a promise on Wens part. Wen mailed a letter to Jo clearly stating and outlining the terms and conditions of his promise.
To distinguish an offer from an invitation to treat see: Pharmaceutical Society (GB) v Boots Cash Chemists (Southern) Ltd [1952] 2 QB 795. In this case, the court held that the display of goods is not an offer but an invitation to treat.
The decision was endorsed in Fisher v Bell [1961] 1 QB 394. Lord Parker (at 399):