CASE STUDY 2 – CONTRACT LAW
GUIDELINES FOR THE CASE STUDY
I – Issues
R – Relevant law
A – Application
C – Conclusion
First identify the legal issues. These should be stated briefly in one sentence. There is no need
to enlarge on the issues, as this will be done in the application section. Secondly, take each
issue in turn and set out the relevant law relating to that issue. All relevant cases and
statutory provisions should be mentioned. Names of cases and statutes should be italicized. It
is not necessary to give the facts of every case. The most important thing to set out is the legal
principle decided in that case. Next, the law should be applied to the facts of the problem
question. This may be done immediately after you have set out the relevant law on each issue,
or you may wait until you have set out the law on all the issues, as has been done below. There
is no need to repeat the legal principles set out in the relevant law section. Finally, state your
conclusions. Again, there is no need to repeat what you have already set out in the previous
sections. The conclusion should be brief. If there is more than one possible conclusion, set
them all out
1) Philip wants to sell his house and advertises it in the local newspaper at £370, 000,
giving his telephone number. Jim sees the advertisement and rings Philip and makes an
appointment to see the house. Jim likes the house but cannot agree a price with
Philip, his highest offer being £367,000, while Philip insists on £370,000. On the following
Monday Jim receives a letter from Philip offering him the house for £368,500 and
saying that Jim can have until noon on Friday to think about it. On
Wednesday evening Jim meets his brother Garrett in their local. Garrett tells him
that Philip’s son-in-law bought the house earlier that day for £367,000. Jim goes
straight home and writes a letter to Philip, accepting his offer to sell at £368,500. He posts the
letter immediately and Philip receives it on Thursday morning, but replies by
return saying "You are too late. I have sold the house to my son-in-law."
Advise Jim.
GUIDELINES FOR THE CASE STUDY
I – Issues
R – Relevant law
A – Application
C – Conclusion
First identify the legal issues. These should be stated briefly in one sentence. There is no need
to enlarge on the issues, as this will be done in the application section. Secondly, take each
issue in turn and set out the relevant law relating to that issue. All relevant cases and
statutory provisions should be mentioned. Names of cases and statutes should be italicized. It
is not necessary to give the facts of every case. The most important thing to set out is the legal
principle decided in that case. Next, the law should be applied to the facts of the problem
question. This may be done immediately after you have set out the relevant law on each issue,
or you may wait until you have set out the law on all the issues, as has been done below. There
is no need to repeat the legal principles set out in the relevant law section. Finally, state your
conclusions. Again, there is no need to repeat what you have already set out in the previous
sections. The conclusion should be brief. If there is more than one possible conclusion, set
them all out
1) Philip wants to sell his house and advertises it in the local newspaper at £370, 000,
giving his telephone number. Jim sees the advertisement and rings Philip and makes an
appointment to see the house. Jim likes the house but cannot agree a price with
Philip, his highest offer being £367,000, while Philip insists on £370,000. On the following
Monday Jim receives a letter from Philip offering him the house for £368,500 and
saying that Jim can have until noon on Friday to think about it. On
Wednesday evening Jim meets his brother Garrett in their local. Garrett tells him
that Philip’s son-in-law bought the house earlier that day for £367,000. Jim goes
straight home and writes a letter to Philip, accepting his offer to sell at £368,500. He posts the
letter immediately and Philip receives it on Thursday morning, but replies by
return saying "You are too late. I have sold the house to my son-in-law."
Advise Jim.
