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LA243-30 Contract Law

Department
School of Law
Level
Undergraduate Level 2
Module leader
Christian Twigg-Flesner
Credit value
30
Module duration
20 weeks
Assessment
100% exam
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry
Introductory description

This full module aims to introduce you to the fundamental notions of contract law, which is one of the “building blocks” of the common law and which underlies much of commercial and consumer law.

Module web page

Module aims

This full module aims to introduce you to the fundamental notions of contract law, which is one of the "building blocks" of the common law and which underlies much of commercial and consumer law.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Introduction to Contract Law

Contract Formation

  • offer and acceptance

  • consideration

  • intention to create legal relations

Estoppel

Interpretation of Contracts

Express and Implied Terms

Remedies:

  • Termination for breach, incl. anticipatory breach

  • Damages

  • Other Remedies

Vitiating Factors:

  • frustration

  • mistake

  • misrepresentation

  • duress

  • undue influence

Third Parties and Privity

Control over exclusion clauses at common law

Statutory controls under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and Consumer Rights Act 2015

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Understand and explain the general principles of contract law.
  • Analyse cases.
  • 'Get behind the cases' to work out what the courts appear actually to be doing
  • Synthesize the law from a series of cases, analyse the inter-relationship of case-law and statute; analyse a problem and apply the law to the facts
  • Demonstrate legal writing skills
  • Employ some basic theoretical analysis, in particular some economic analysis
  • Understand the social contexts and evaluate the policy behind the law
  • Participate effectively in team work
  • Carry out basic contract drafting
Indicative reading list

Mckendrick: "English Contract Law: A Rich Past, an Uncertain
Future" [1997] Current Legal Problems 25
Beale & Dugdale: 'Contracts between Businessmen: Planning and the Use of Contract Remedies" (1975) 2(1) British Journal of Law & Society 45

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

No subject specific skills defined for this module.

Transferable skills

No transferable skills defined for this module.

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 36 sessions of 1 hour (12%)
Seminars 14 sessions of 1 hour (5%)
Private study 250 hours (83%)
Total 300 hours
Private study description

No private study requirements defined for this module.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.

Assessment group B1
Weighting Study time
Online Examination 100%
  • LA004: Sale of Goods Act 1979 (Commercial & Consumer Contracting)
  • LA005: Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977
  • LA007: Contracts (Right of Third Parties) Act 1999
  • LA033: Law Reform (Frustrated Contracts) Act 1943
  • LA041: Consumer Rights Act 2015 (for LA243)
Feedback on assessment

Generic feedback will be provided on Moodle. One to one feedback is available by student request in October.

Past exam papers for LA243

Courses

This module is Core for:

  • Year 2 of ULAA-ML34 BA in Law and Sociology (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M300 Undergraduate Law
  • ULAA-M105 Undergraduate Law (3 year) (Qualifying Degree)
    • Year 2 of M105 Law (3 year) (Qualifying Degree)
    • Year 2 of M105 Law (3 year) (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M106 Undergraduate Law (4 year) (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M104 Undergraduate Law (Year Abroad)
  • ULAA-M108 Undergraduate Law (Year Abroad) (Qualifying Degree)
    • Year 2 of M108 Law (Year Abroad) (Qualifying Degree)
    • Year 2 of M108 Law (Year Abroad) (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of UIBA-MN37 Undergraduate Law and Business Studies (Qualifying Degree) with Intercalated Year
  • Year 2 of UIBA-MN36 Undergraduate Law and Business Studies with Intercalated Year (4+1)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-ML33 Undergraduate Law and Sociology
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M10A Undergraduate Law with French Law (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M10C Undergraduate Law with German Law (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M110 Undergraduate Law with Humanities (3 Year)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M111 Undergraduate Law with Humanities (3 Year) (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M112 Undergraduate Law with Humanities (4 Year)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M113 Undergraduate Law with Humanities (4 Year) (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M114 Undergraduate Law with Social Sciences (3 Year)
  • ULAA-M115 Undergraduate Law with Social Sciences (3 Year) (Qualifying Degree)
    • Year 2 of M115 Law with Social Sciences (3 year) (Qualifying Degree)
    • Year 2 of M115 Law with Social Sciences (3 year) (Qualifying Degree)
  • Year 2 of ULAA-M116 Undergraduate Law with Social Sciences (4 Year)

This module is Option list E for:

  • UPHA-V7MW Undergraduate Politics, Philosophy and Law
    • Year 2 of V7MW Politics, Philosophy and Law
    • Year 2 of V7MW Politics, Philosophy and Law