BCN101 | Contracts-I

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Contract Law is taught in two parts in the undergraduate curriculum mandated by the Bar Council of India. Contract I is a core course that forms the first part. The word ‘contract’ in general parlance is used on a routine basis without attributing much importance to its legal consequences. But in the framework of legal enquiry the word ‘contract’ and the law governing it is dynamic. Unveiling the core concepts of this dynamic discipline would be the primary aim of this course.

Being one of the first courses on statutory law administered to undergraduate law students, this course offers the scope of delving into some of the foundational legal discourses on statutory interpretation.

This course deals comprehensively with the basic principles of law of contracts, especially the Indian law on contract. Introduction to the laws of obligations and the foundational understanding of legal liability in contractual relations would be the focus of this course. This course would also endeavour to encourage reflective thinking and analytical legal reasoning skills of the students by cultivating the ability to move between the doctrinal analysis of the law and its application in practice.

Course Approach:

The Contracts-I course mainly comprises the general principles of the law governing enforceable agreements. The principal topics that will be discussed during the course include: the process and legal rules related to formation of agreements; the legal requirements which must be satisfied to make agreements legally enforceable or vitiate their legal enforcement such as capacity, consent, consideration, mistake, misrepresentation, undue influence etc.; performance and breach of contract; privity of contract; quasi contracts; contractual terms and the implication of terms; principles relating to the discharge of contracts; remedies for breach of contract by way of damages, liquidated damages, specific performance and injunction.

Course Outcome:

Students will have a broad understanding of the principles of the law of contract and will be able to demonstrate their application to the essentials of formation, performance and discharge of contractual obligations.

Teaching Method:

The course will be taught by delivering lectures, engaging the students in classroom discussion and case law analysis. Discussion orientated flipped classroom approach and digital media based learning would also be used.

The course is divided into 4 modules to be taught over a period of 10 weeks.