The document discusses the capacity of parties to enter into a contract under Indian law. It outlines who is competent to contract based on their age and mental state. Minors and those of unsound mind are not considered competent. It also discusses various circumstances that can affect the validity of an agreement such as coercion, undue influence, fraud, misrepresentation, mistake, and considerations that are unlawful or against public policy.

2. Capacity of parties - Sec 11 11. Who are competent to contract Every person is competent to contract who is of the age of majority according to the law to which he is subject, and who is sound mind and is not disqualified from contracting by any law to which he is subject.

3. Contd - A person is incompetent to contract under the following circumstances: 1. If he is a minor 2. If he is of unsound mind 3. If he is disqualified from contracting by any law to which he is subject

4. Minor Person domiciled in India, who is under 18 years of age. Law protects minor’s rights because they are not mature and may not possess the capacity to judge what is good or what is bad

5. Position of minor’s agreement Validity – An agreement with a minor is void-ab-intio Case – Mohiri Bibee vs Dharmdas Ghosh

6. Position of persons of unsound mind Who is a person of unsound mind Sec 12 - A person is said to be of sound mind for the purpose of making a contract, if at the time when he makes it, he is capable – (a) to understand the terms of the contract. (b) to form a rational judgment as to its effect upon his interests Ex ; idiots, lunatic, drunken person

7. Position of agreements with persons of unsound mind Persons of unsound mind 1. Lunatic (a) while he is of unsound mind Capacity to contract He cannot enter into any contract. Any agreement entered into by him during this period is altogether void and he cannot be held liable thereon.

8. Contd- b) While he is of sound mind (II) Idiots He can enter into a valid contract and he is liable for such contract. He cannot enter into any contract. Any agreement entered by him is void and he is liable thereon.

9. Contd Drunken person He cannot contract while such delirium or drunkness lasts

10. Persons disqualified by law Alien enemies – cannot enter into any contracts Foreign sovereigns and ambassadors – can enter into contracts enforce those contracts in our courts but cannot be sued in our courts without the sanction of the central government Convicts – Cannot enter into any contract during the period of the sentence

11. Contd - Company – Contractual capacity is determined by the ‘object clause’ of the memorandum of association. Any act done in excess of the power given is ultra vires [(i.e) beyond the power] and hence void. Insolvent – Cannot sue and be sued. Cannot enter into contracts relating to his property. When the insolvent is discharged the disqualification is removed.

12. Consideration Without which no single promise is enforceable A technical term used in the sense of quid pro quo (ie, something in return). When a party promises to do something he must get ‘something in return’. This something is defined as consideration.

13. Section 2(d) “ When at the desire of the promisor, the promisee or any other person has done or abstained from doing, or does or abstains from doing, or promises to do or abstain from doing something, such act or abstinence or promise is called a consideration for the promise”.

14. Contd - Ex – X promises to deliver the goods to Y and Y promises to pay Rs 1000 on delivery. In this case, the consideration for each of these promises is as under: For X’s promise - Y’s promise to pay Rs 1000 on delivery For Y’s promise – X’s promise to deliver the goods

15. Essential elements Move at the desire of the promisor – An act constituting consideration must have been done at the desire or request of the promisor. Case – Durga Prasad vs Baldeo May move from any person – immaterial as to who furnishes the consideration Case – Chinnayya vs Ramayya

16. Contd - It may be past present or future It must be of some value. It must be real and not illusory Something other than the promisor’s existing obligation Case – Ramachandra Chintamana vs Kala Raju

17. Stranger to contract A stranger to consideration – can sue because the consideration can be furnished or supplied by any person whether he is a promisee or not A stranger to the contract - cannot sue because of the absence of the privity of the contract Case – Dunlop P tyre Co ltd vs Selfridge&Co Ltd

18. Contracts without consideration(Exceptions to general rule,no consideration, no contract ) Agreements made on account of natural love and affection Promise to compensate for past voluntary service Promise to pay a time barred debt Completed gift Agency

19. Elements of valid consideration

20. Free consent It is essential to the creation of the contract that the parties are ad idem,ie , they agree upon the same thing in the same sense at the same time and their consent is free and real. Consent means an act of assenting to an offer.

21. Sec 13 “ Two or more persons are said to consent when they agree upon the same thing in the same sense.” Effect of absence of consent – When there is no consent at all, the agreement is void ab-intio , ie, it is not enforceable at the option of either party.

22. Free consent Sec 14 Consent is said to be free when it is not caused by (a) coercion (b)undue influence (c)fraud (d)misrepresentation or (e) mistake No free consent – contract is usually voidable

23. Contd-

24. Coercion Sec 15 A contract is said to be caused by coercion if it is obtained by ( a) committing any act which is forbidden by the Indian Penal Code (b) threatening to commit any act which is forbidden by the Indian Penal Code (c) Unlawful detaining of any property (d) threatening to detain any property

25. Case Case 1 Ranganayakam vs Alwar Shetty, (1889) 13 Mad 214 The relatives of a young widow threatened her that they would not allow her to cremate the dead body of her husband unless she consented to the adoption of a boy as her son. Held: The adoption is not binding on her on account of coercion

26. Case Muttiah Chettiar vs Koruppen Chetty (1927) 50 Mad 786 A person secured a release from liabilities from his principal by refusing to hand over the books of account. The release deed was held to be voidable of the option of the principal. Effect of coercion: Contract is voidable at the option of the party whose consent has been caused by coercion.

27. Undue influence Dominating the will of the other person to obtain an unfair advantage over the other Sometimes the parties to the agreement are related in such a way that one of them is able to dominate the will of the other. It creates a mental or moral fear created by coercion. Consequently the party on whom undue influence is exercised is indirectly compelled to enter into the contract

28. Ex: A, having money advanced money to his son B during his minority, upon B’s coming of age, obtains by parental influence, a bond from B for a greater amount than the sum due in respect of the advance. A employs undue influence

29. Fraud-Sec 17 "Fraud" means and includes any of the following acts committed by a party to a contract, or with his connivance, or by his agent, with intent to deceive another party thereto of his agent, or to induce him to enter into the contract:- (1) the suggestion, as a fact, of that which is not true, by one who does not believe it to be true; (2) the active concealment of a fact by one having knowledge or belief of the fact; (3) a promise made without any intention of performing it (4) any other act fitted to deceive; (5) any such act or omission as the law specially declares to be fraudulent.

30. Contd- Explanation.- Mere silence as to facts likely to affect the willingness of a person to enter into a contract is not fraud, unless the circumstances of the case are such that, regard being had to them, it is the duty of the person keeping silence to speak, or unless his silence is, in itself, equivalent to speech.

31. Illustrations a) A sells, by auction, to B, a horse which A knows to be unsound. A says nothing to B about the horse's unsoundness. This is not fraud in A. (b) B is A's daughter and has just come of age. Here, the relation between the parties would make it A's duty to tell B if the horse, is unsound.

32. Contd- (c) B says to A - "If you do not deny it, I shall assume that the horse is sound." A says nothing. Here, A's silence is equivalent to speech. (d) A and B, being traders, enter upon a contract. A has private information of a change in prices which would affect B's willingness to proceed with the contract. A is not bound to inform B.

33. Effect Suit for recission Suit for damages for fraud Right of recession lost if— Affirmation of the contract even after becoming aware of the fraud

34. Misrepresentation A false representation of fact made innocently or non-disclosure of a material fact without the intention to deceive the other party Aggrieved party can avoid or rescind the contract

35. Contd- Ex: A tells B, without checking records, that in his factory 1000 tons of indigo is manufactured every month. A believes his assessment to be true. The actual production is found to be only 830 tons. A is guilty of misrepresentation. Effect: Right to rescind the contract

36. MISTAKE Erroneous belief about something Mistake of law Mistake of fact

37. Mistake

38. Sec21. Effect of mistakes as to law A contract is not voidable because it was caused by a mistake as to any law in force in India; but a mistake as to a law not in force in [India] has the same effect as a mistake of fact. Illustration A and B make a contract grounded on the erroneous belief that a particular debt is barred by the Indian Law of Limitation: the contract is not voidable.

39. Legality of the object and consideration Object and consideration of contract must be lawful, otherwise the agreement is void Consideration or object of contract is unlawful in the following cases: (a) If it is forbidden by law (b) If it defeats the provision of any law (c) If it is fraudulent (d) If the court regards it as immoral or opposed to public policy

40. Agreements opposed to the public policy Agreements of trading with the enemy Agreement of stifling prosecution Agreement in restraint of paternal rights Agreement in restraint of personal liberty Agreements in restraint of trade

41. Other essentials Certainty of meaning – terms of contract must be unambiguous Possibility of performance – An agreement to do an impossible act is void Legal formalities - Must comply with necessary formalities like writing, registration and stamping