Contract

A contract is a legally enforceable agreement that gives rise to obligations to perform certain activities, such as paying for services. This course gives students an overview of the substantive law in relation to how contracts are formed, how we determine their meaning, how they can be enforced and how they can be brought to an end, while also exploring the role of contract law in addressing critical issues of climate justice and social justice. Students will be expected to engage with cases that establish these legal principles, and also briefly examine statutes that interact with or modify the common law. Students will learn how contract law can be leveraged to advance environmental sustainability by studying issues such as how contracts can incorporate environmental considerations and sustainability principles into their terms and conditions. They will also explore how contract law can promote social justice by examining the fairness of contractual terms, the protection of vulnerable parties, and the use of contracts provisions to advance social equity. Throughout the course, students will develop their skills in legal problem solving, building on the foundations introduced in Torts. They will engage in case analysis, statutory interpretation, and the application of legal principles to real-world scenarios, with a particular focus on contracts that have significant environmental or social implications. Students will be required to provide an answer to a problem-based scenario which is reasoned and justified in law. This replicates what lawyers do in practice. This is a compulsory course that addresses the mandatory requirements for Contract Law for accreditation purposes, while also providing students with a forward-looking, justice-oriented perspective on the law of contract.