Fundamentals of Contract Formation and Validity

📋 Course Outline

1. Stages and effects of contract formation
2. Legal analysis of offer and acceptance in sales and public procurement
3. Counter-offers and timing in contract formation
4. Consideration and promissory estoppel in contract law
5. Intention to create legal relations and contractual capacity
6. Formalities, enforceability, and privity of contract
7. Illegality and misrepresentation in contract validity
8. Economic duress, undue influence, and contract voidability

📖 1. Stages and effects of contract formation

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Once the contract : The stage after a contract is made when it becomes binding on the parties, requiring them to perform their agreed obligations without escape except in limited situations.
• Contract is formed : The point at which the contract is made, marking the agreement between parties that triggers binding and enforceable obligations.

📝 Essential Points

• A contract becomes enforceable, allowing a party to sue for breach if the other fails to perform as agreed.
• The law of contract governs all commercial transactions, from small consumer purchases to complex business deals.

💡 Key Takeaway

Understanding the lifecycle of a contract clarifies when parties are legally bound and when enforcement mechanisms apply.

📖 2. Legal analysis of offer and acceptance in sales and public procurement

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions