Assessment Questions on Contract Law

1. Delilah makes a written offer to Samson to sell her car for ($) 10,000. In her offer Claudia states, that 'this offer will remain open for seven days'. Two days later Delilah tells Samson that she has changed her mind. Discuss whether Samson can still accept the offer and hold Delilah to the sale of her car to him for ($) 10,000.
2. List and explain four aspects of your daily life which would be drastically different if the law of contract could not be used to enforce promises.
3. Explain what it means to say that the policy of upholding contractual agreements is observed by the courts.
4. When can an offer made by the Offeror to an Offeree be revoked?
5. Over the centuries, predominantly in common law nations, such as Britain, America and Australia the Federal Courts have extended and modified the rules of contract law in order to apply them to new technologies such as currently social and other technological media and online shopping forums in this globalised world. Why do you think that the application of contract law to increased online transactions required the enactment and passing of specific Electronic Transactions legislation at state, federal and international levels?
6. In this technological age what sort of problems may arise in contract law for users of e-commerce?Discuss.
7. According to the postal acceptance rule, where the parties contemplate the use of the post as a method of communication, an acceptance to an offer is deemed to be effective as soon as it is posted. Why do you think the courts originally developed this postal acceptance rule? Do you think those reasons are still valid today?
8. You had to go food shopping as the fridge and pantry was empty and your baby sitter was not available so you take your baby daughter, Mary in a stroller to do the weekly shopping at the local Aldi Supermarket. After you competed the shopping, and while you are waiting in the queue at the checkout to pay for the groceries, your daughter Mary, reaches out of the stroller and takes a chocolate bar from the shelf. At this point, the checkout girl has nearly finished totalling the cost of the groceries. She noticed that what Mary had done and, as you did not come forward with the payment of the chocolate your daughter Mary has taken from the shelf, the checkout girl tells you that you must pay for the chocolate (by now mostly eaten by Mary). What will you do in this instance?
9. Lawrence, the manager of the delicatessen counter, at the Aldi Supermarket noticed a customer who had requested specific goods, such as chilli olives, cold meats (cut to his liking) and cheese from the delicatessen counter on his way to the checkout dumped them amongst the frozen food section. What is the legal significance (if any) in the customers conduct in this situation?
10. In contractual situations, where the traditional (conventional) approach of determining the Offer by the Offeror and Acceptance by the Offeree cannot be applied, how would the Court then, determine whether an actual agreement has been satisfactorily negotiated and actual valid contract reached concluded between the parties?