ABSTRACT
A contract is an agreement between two people (known legally as ‘parties’) that is legally binding. If there is then a dispute over carrying out this agreement, the courts will enforce the agreement. Contracts are made by ordinary people in everyday situations, often many times during a day, e.g. buying a magazine, parking a car, doing the family shopping, entering competitions. Most of these events take place quite smoothly countless times each day without any awareness of a contract having been made. It is usually not until disputes occur that the question of a possible contract arises. On the whole the majority of people honour most of their promises as a matter of principle. However situations undoubtedly arise where conflicting interests lead to dispute, and then an established system of some sort is needed to resolve the problems and to attempt to prevent injustice. Thinking point
Can you think of some situations during the last few days when you might have made a contract?
