Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Delivered at:: Department for Theory of Law and Legal Practice (Faculty of Computer Science, Economics, and Social Sciences)

Course type:: Elective course

When:: 2 year, 1 module

Instructor

Krasilnikova, Nika

Full Syllabus Ask Question

Abstract

The discipline «Contract Law» aims to form the scientific understanding of the principles and institutions of contract law. It also aims to study the contract law doctrine in the applied aspect and the problems of the contract law practice. As a result of the course, the students have to know the content of discussions about the basic concepts, principles and institutions of contract law; actual problems of the theory and practice of contract law and possible ways to resolve them; trends and patterns in the development of contract regulation and enforcement. The students also have to be able to independently analyze the matter of legal norms and apply methods of legal norms interpretation for the purposes of adequate qualification of disputed contract relations. When implementing various types of educational activities, the following types of educational technologies are used: problematic lectures, conference lectures, problematic workshops, discussion seminars, analysis of practical tasks and business games. Part of the lectures is presented in an interactive form. Discussions with practicing lawyers and government officials are provided in the course program.

Learning Objectives

формирование научного понимания принципов и институтов договорного права.
изучение доктрины договорного права в прикладном аспекте и проблем практики договорного права.
знать содержание дискуссий об основных концепциях, принципах и институтах договорного права.
знать актуальные проблемы теории и практики договорного права и возможные пути их решения;
знать тенденции и закономерности в развитии договорного регулирования и обеспечения соблюдения.
уметь самостоятельно анализировать содержание правовых норм и применять методы их толкования для адекватной квалификации спорных договорных отношений.

Expected Learning Outcomes

The student understands the significance of the comparative method in the legal reality.
The student is able to analyze the legal institutions in the context of a particular legal system.
The student correlates the doctrinal and normative aspects of contract law.

Course Contents

Part 1. Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract
Topic 1. The following unit is devoted to the main principles of the contract, which are formulated as questions: 1) Intent to Create Legal Relations; 2) Both Sides Serious? 3)Legal and Moral; 4) Gift or Bargain? These principles help to understand whether the bargain is enforceable or not. Afterwards the use of these principles is worked out through the following cases - Uncle’s Promise, Brother-In-Law, Demotsis v. Batsakis, Post v. Jones, Car Accident, Alaska Packers, Christmas Shop Manager. Topic 2. The following unit is devoted to show how conversations, dealings, which look like bargains are not bargains at all, especially ones which are presenting a promise in return for an “empty bag”. The empty bag is a situation of a one-sided promise which is not a bargain and can’t be enforceable. This stands for a gift. In order to practice the mentioned principle, the following cases are discussed: Wood v. Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, Webb v. McGowin. Topic 3. In this unit the main topic is about the move from promises, to bargains, to contracts. The basis of contract is mutual promises. But not every promise leads to a contract. For instance, promises in which the promisor doesn't expect to find himself in court. What’s more, this unit presents the mirror image rule when the return of the offer, the acceptance, is the mirror image of the offer. Topic 4. This unit is devoted to a number of situations, charitable subscriptions, gifts, bargaining as a trap, in which, though, the basic concepts - bargain exchange, offer and acceptance -haven't been met, consequently, it leds to the major unfairness. What’s more, the concept of “detrimental reliance” is presented through the Ricketts v. Scothorn, Hoffman v. Red Owl cases. Topic 4*. This unit goes back to origins of the difference of the common law and civil law legal families. They have a commonality for a reason deeper than common ancestry. They all were consciously devised on a common central premise. The law of contract performed the function of allowing free and reasoning citizens to order their affairs among each other as they saw fit. So all three systems were designed for the facilitation of private ordering in the context of a market economy. Topic 5. In this unit is discussed what happens to contracts if the following situations take place – Mistakes. Fraud and Frustration. The general rule is that the loss lies where it falls, and either the risk of disaster is factors into the price or covered by insurance. The following cases were examined: Raffles v. Wichelhaus, Laidlaw v.Organ. Topic 6. This unit is connected with the interpretation of the contract and how the courts interpret the contract when disputes arise. For a judge or a lawyer, it may require the interpreter to learn about all sorts of contexts and situations, insurance deals, health care, painting contracts, the art market etc. The importance of the interpretation is presented in the Twin towers case, Prince Sergey and Rembrandt case. Topic 7. Through the following unit students are going to be looking at two types of court remedies for breach of contract: forced payment of money and specific performance. The default rule is when a contract is broken, the disappointed party is entitled to get what he expected, but presumptively, he's only entitled to get it in money as the courts are not interested to go around making people do particular things. What’s more, this unit also highlights the third party beneficiary theory. Topic 8. This unit starts with the assignment of contracts from one party to another. Then it is expanded from agency to look at partnerships and corporations and the contracts that these entities enter into. Finally, the is examination of government regulation of contracts.

Assessment Elements

Контрольная работа
Экзамен

Interim Assessment

Interim assessment (1 module)
0.5 * Контрольная работа + 0.5 * Экзамен

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Иванова Е. В. - ДОГОВОРНОЕ ПРАВО В 2 Т. ТОМ 1. ОБЩАЯ ЧАСТЬ 2-е изд., пер. и доп. Учебник для бакалавриата и магистратуры - М.:Издательство Юрайт - 2019 - 186с. - ISBN: 978-5-534-06096-6 - Текст электронный // ЭБС ЮРАЙТ - URL: https://urait.ru/book/dogovornoe-pravo-v-2-t-tom-1-obschaya-chast-434402
Иванова Е. В. - ДОГОВОРНОЕ ПРАВО В 2 Т. ТОМ 2. ОСОБЕННАЯ ЧАСТЬ 2-е изд., пер. и доп. Учебник для бакалавриата и магистратуры - М.:Издательство Юрайт - 2019 - 420с. - ISBN: 978-5-534-06097-3 - Текст электронный // ЭБС ЮРАЙТ - URL: https://urait.ru/book/dogovornoe-pravo-v-2-t-tom-2-osobennaya-chast-434403

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Анисимов А. П., Рыженков А. Я., Чаркин С. А. ; Под общ. ред. Рыженкова А.Я. - ДОГОВОРНОЕ ПРАВО. Практическое пособие для бакалавриата и магистратуры - М.:Издательство Юрайт - 2019 - 297с. - ISBN: 978-5-9916-9887-0 - Текст электронный // ЭБС ЮРАЙТ - URL: https://urait.ru/book/dogovornoe-pravo-438204

Master’s Programme 'Legal Support of Entrepreneurial Activity'

Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract