On StuDocu you find all the study guides, past exams and lecture notes for this course BREACH OF CONTRACT Introduction: The divided concept of breach in South Africa law Pacta sunt servanda means that the parties to a contract must fulfil their obligations. A breach of contract occurs, generally, when a party to the contract, without lawful excuse, fails to honour his obligations under the contract. Studying PVL3702 Law of Contract at University of South Africa? Confidentiality – the parties may agree to keep the content of the agreement confidential. Should this co-operation be necessary and the creditor fails to oblige, the creditor would have committed breach. This means that full legal capacity in South Africa … An obligation in this sense is a legal relationship consisting of a right to performance by the other party, coupled with a corresponding duty to perform “your end of the bargain”. • Legal Capacity to Contract It is also very important to be mindful and to remember that the capacity to act is very important. Contracts provide a legal framework which regulates dealings between parties and provides the peace of mind that the law will uphold their agreements and enforce them if necessary. An employment contract would have to comply with the Labour Relations Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act and a rental agreement would have to comply with the Rental Housing Act and so forth. Jurisdiction – The parties may consent to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Court should any dispute arise regarding the contract. However, there are a set of acts that will commonly have an effect on most types of contracts. The contract will almost always provide that the successful party will be entitled to legal costs on the attorney and client scale. In the event where the contract does not have a cancellation clause, the innocent party will only be able to cancel the contract if the breach is material in nature. 1, pp. Positive malperformance – this relates to the quality and content of performance. Costs – parties may agree which party will be responsible for the costs of the contract, but most commonly this clause is used to provide for the event that action is instituted on the agreement. Repudiation – a party demonstrates, by words or by conduct, and without lawful excuse, an unequivocal intention to no longer be bound by the contract. Where a party breaches a contract, the contract can be cancelled. This will lead to the other party suffering damages in one way or another. Repudiation by a party does not itself terminate the contract, it … Default of the debtor (mora debitoris). This act guards against concepts such as “unconscionable conduct” and “unfair, unreasonable or unjust contract terms and prices”. There is therefore no standard template which is used for every transaction. A material breach of contract constitutes repudiation where it evinces an intention on the part of the guilty party not to continue with the contract. A landlord can also cancel a lease contract completely for a major or material breach and demand the tenant move out immediately. The principles and provisions forming decisions to cancel, discharge and avoid contracts need to be discussed and debated using selected landmark cases in order to establish which systems have robust mechanism to deal with breach of contract. The Constitution – This is the most supreme law in South Africa and enshrines the Bill of Rights which contains fundamental rights which must be respected and adhered to at all times.Contractual terms which are not in accordance with the constitution, will not be enforceable. Parties may therefore stipulate which remedies will be available in the event of breach. Contracts are essential to regulate certain relationships as it provides certainty as to what the parties expect from each other. Prevention of performance – where the fault of one party renders it impossible for the other party to perform its obligations. Fundamental breach. Addresses for service – The parties elect certain addresses as their domicilium citandi et executandi for purposes of the contract. Minors do not have the legal capacity to act. Although South Africa recognises a general concept of breach, specific recognised forms include: Ordinary breach; Mora, which comprises Mora debitoris discharge and avoidance as remedy of breach in South Africa, England and the CISG. Related Studylists. Forms of breach. The respondent cancelled the contract by a letter in December 2014 whereas the final payment of the purchase price was made on the 1 st of September 2014 and the share certificates and … Punitive damages are not awarded in South Africa and a party is only entitled to the damages that it has actually suffered as a result of the breach. Various types of breach of contract occur: Minor breach. Notices delivered to these addresses by legally recognised means, will be deemed to have been received by the relevant party. Contracts may be breached by an act or omission. South African Journal on Human Rights: Vol. 94-120. 2 8 Breach of contract 15 2 9 Remedies for breach of contract 15 ... consumers.32 The Act has introduced new forms of protection for consumers in South Africa.33 This dissertation also seeks to investigate the application of the National Credit Act concerning the law of contract in the South African courts. Having particular regard to the developments in consumer protection law and constitutional jurisprudence, the fifth edition of Contract: General Principles provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the general principles of the law of contract in South Africa (SA). Contracts may be governed by various different acts, depending on the type of contract. This is true when entering in to any form of contract. Every case is obviously different but, in general, most parties to a breach of contract action agree that (1) a contract exists, (2) the contract is enforceable and not void, and (3) that they performed under the contract. Consensus – there must be a “meeting of minds” with regard to the intended obligation and performance, the intention to be legally bound, and the parties must be aware of their agreement. The Consumer Protection Act – This act strives to neutralise the imbalances in bargaining power that may exist between suppliers and consumers. Whole agreement – no party will have any right or remedy arising from any undertaking, warranty or representation which is not contained in the particular contract. Simply put, a contract is an agreement entered into between two or more parties with the serious intention of creating a legal obligation. Mora debitoris – the culpable failure of a debtor to make timeous performance of a positive obligation. For example, “reference to one gender, shall include reference to the other’. The party did indeed perform, but did not perform as contracted. The publication comprises 13 different chapters, which include – These are: It was stated above that there is no “standard contract” and that each contract is tailor made to suit the parties. This exploration will be conducted also in the context of whether at all and to what extent, if any, South African courts truly apply altruist values and fluid standards in their decisions on contract. If a breach is minor, either party must give a … Formation problems in common-law contracts relate to whether the offer, acceptance, and consideration were valid. This relates to age and mental capacity. However, there are some standard clauses of a general nature that will be found in most contracts. When the parties conclude a contract, they acknowledge that they will have certain responsibilities towards each other and that these responsibilities may be legally enforced. South African law recognises four different types of breach, given below. Breach of agreement - Repudiation and election: Persistence is key Where a party to an agreement breaches it obligations by repudiating its obligations, the innocent party has an election to either reject the repudiation and enforce the performance thereof or … 35, No. Variation – this clause will determine how the agreement may be changed by adding terms or deleting terms. Breach – parties may agree on the way forward should either party not comply with the contract as a whole or with some of the enforceable clauses. These clauses regulate general aspects such as variation, waiver, jurisdiction, interpretation, breach, etc. A claim for breach of contract … Should a debtor not obliged to its contract in time or timeously he or she is then in breach of contract. A breach of contract occurs when a party fails to honour her/his obligations under a contract. The requirements for a legally binding contract are as follows: Each contract is drafted with the specific needs of both parties in mind. The Protection of Personal Information Act – This act aims to protect the personal information of consumers and should be adhered to when obtaining personal information of contracting parties. it must be reduced to writing, must be signed or signed in front of a notary and subsequently registered in the deeds office. There are a number of essential elements that a contract of employment is based on that are useful for employers to know before they draw any of these documents up or commission these to be drawn up. Five types of breach exist: Various remedies are available to the “injured party” when the other party has breached its obligations in terms of the contract. Legality – The terms of the contract may not be prohibited the law and should not be contrary to public policy. Cancellation of a contract is a general remedy for breach of contract recognised in South African law and is often referred to as a drastic remedy as it brings the contract to an end. These terms usually envisage the aggrieved party informing the defaulting party in writing of the breach and demanding that the defaulting party remedy the breach within a specified time period. When parties enter into a contract, obligations are created. Anticipatory breach. The employment contract – that is entered into between employer and employee – signals the beginning of an employment relationship. Repudiation: A party in the contract commits a breach of contract in the form of repudiation when he or she, by words or conduct, and without a valid excuse, shows an unambiguous intent to stop the contract or any obligation that is part of the contract form. (2019). An employee may claim damages suffered as a result of the breach of contract by the employer, irrespective of whether he elects to terminate the contract or to continue with the contract. A couple can agree that she will cook and he will do the dishes, but this does not mean that a legally binding contract exists between them. Late performance or mora A party is in mora when: the debt is due and enforceable, but performance is not delivered on time; Repudiation: In B Braun Medical (Pty) Ltd v Ambasaam CC 2015 (3) SA 22 (SCA) the court was asked to pronounce whether a demand for performance, linked to a right of cancellation of the contract in the event of non-adherence to the demand, constitutes breach of contract … Remedies that aim to keep the contract in tact: Remedies aimed at cancellation of the contract: Remedies aimed at compensating the innocent party for any loss or damage suffered as result of the breach of contract. There are five forms of breach of contract which are: 1. A breach of a material term constitutes repudiation, whether the term is express, tacit or incorporated. The choice of remedy will be determined by factors such as the type of contract and type of performance, actual damage suffered and whether performance is still possible. However, the terms regarding cancellation of a contract must be adhered to strictly. Specific performance as a primary remedy in the South African law of contract. In a minor breach, the aggrieved party would not be allowed to sue for specific performances, only for actual damages. Tel: 011 024 1970   Bail: 082 235 5709. In the last Legislation Column, we explained the five tenents of contractual law in South Africa, and gave a brief example of how contracts can in fact be breached. Chapter 12 forms of breach Chapter 14 cession - Summary The Law of Contract in South Africa Chapter 15 Termination of Obligations Chapter 8 - POSSIBILITY AND CERTAINTY CH 2 Definitions - Lecture notes 1 and 3 Chapter Eight Summary. If a party then fails to honour its commitments, such a party would have committed a breach of contract. Confidentiality – the parties may agree to keep the content of the agreement confidential. Contact Coetzee Attorneys for more information. In Wallace v Du Toit [2006] 8 BLLR 757 (LC ) the employer employed the … Keywords: Breach of Contract, Judicial Discretion, Specific Performance, Damages. Breach – parties may agree on the way forward should either party not comply with the contract as a whole or with some of the enforceable clauses. Not every agreement will be legally recognised and therefore enforceable by law. What constitutes a material breach depends on the terms of the contract. A general comparison between the principles of the law of specific contract in South Africa and its English counterpart 7 This can only occur where the debtor requires the creditors cooperation in order to perform their contractual obligation. Breach of contract. For example, if the offer did not contain the essential terms in definite and certain form, then that offer will not be valid. The following elements must be proved, in order for a claim for damages to be successful: breach of contract; The law refers to that debtor as in mora and therefore the form of breach of contract is called mora beditoris. Each type will be governed by its own special set of rules. These may be the breach of a contract or contractual term; committing a delict; contravention of a statute (legislation); or sui generis, which means those that do not involve any of … under-privileged precisely because of South African contract law’s preference for and commitment to liberal politics cast in formal rules. The concurrence of breach of contract and delict in a constitutional context. The second ground of the respondent’s claim is based on breach of contract. Material broach. Defenses for Breach of Contract. Contracting parties should be allowed to resile from the contract and use damages as a remedy for breach of contract. Formalities – Certain contracts require compliance with certain formalities, eg. Interpretation – definitions may be included as well as other directions. Any changes will mostly have to be in writing and may be regulated by relevant legislation. Under the South African common law, an automatic remedy that stems from a breach of contract is a claim for damages against the breaching party, in the hands of an innocent party. Capacity – The parties must have the required capacity to conclude a contract. It can therefore be said that contracts contribute to order in the society. Breach of contract occurs when one party to a contract fails to perform any term of the contract without a valid legal reason. Anticipatory breach occurs when a party indicates by words or actions that she will not perform any term of the contract. The contract will be governed by the type of transaction envisaged by the parties, for example sale of a business, sale of property, employment, session, credit agreements, partnership agreements, acknowledgement of debt, lease agreements etc. This month, we summarise the tenents of contractual law and discuss the remedies for breach of contract as they apply to a 'purchase and sale' contract. Parties may therefore stipulate which remedies will be available in the event of breach. In addition to breach of contract by a person owing the obligation, the debtor, South African law recognises breach of contract by the person to whom the obligation is owed, the creditor. BREACH PRIVACY, Telephone: 072 045 6365 | Email: admin@lawyersouthafrica.co.za, Cheap Legal Advice From Legal Wise South Africa. The fundamental rule in regard to the award of damages for breach of contract is that is that the sufferer should be put in the position he would have occupied had the contract been properly performed, so far as this can be done by the payment of money and without undue hardship to the defaulting party (see Victoria Falls & Transvaal Power Co. Ltd. v Consolidated Langlaagte Mines Ltd., 1915 AD 1 at p. 22; … The best defense to a breach of contract claim is typically to argue that you did not breach the contract!
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