Contract Law

Lord Aristo is an art collector. His favourite painting, Bacon's 'Pope Pious', is stolen. Lord Aristo places an advertisement in the Times newspaper offering a reward of100,000 to anyone who is able to locate the painting. Advise Lord Aristo in each of the following alternative circumstances:

a) Canon, a private investigator, is employed by Lord Aristo's insurance company to recover the picture. Canon locates the picture and claims the reward. (Does Canon supply good consideration when the act he performs is the performance of a pre-existing contractual duty owed to a third party (his employer, the insurance company)) Refer to cases such as the Eurymedon and Pao On v Lau Yiu Long.

b) Devi sees the advertisement, locates the picture and claims the reward. Devi does not see an advertisement placed in the Independent newspaper withdrawing the offer of a reward before he finds the picture. (What are the requirements for revocation of a unilateral offer?)

c) Vera, a police detective working on the theft, locates the picture and claims the reward. (Cases such as Collins v Godfroy, Glasbrook v Glamorgan Bros, Reading Festival v West Yorks Police can be discussed.)

d) Baron Bluster, a friend of Lord Aristo, begins an extensive search for the painting. He telephones Lord Aristo to tell him that he will be meeting an informer that evening who will tell him where the painting is. Lord Aristo tells Baron Bluster not to bother because he has changed his mind about the reward. Baron Bluster goes ahead with the meeting, gets the information and claims the reward. (Has Bluster commenced performance of the act stipulated? If so, is revocation possible?) Refer to Errington v Errington or Luxor v Cooper.