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CASE STUDIES in BUSINESS LAW

 

2nd edition

Jeffrey Young

February 1999, in two volumes

 

ISBN 978-1-85450-270-4    Volume One and Two

(ISBN-10        1 85450 270 0)

A single, printed, hardcopy version is available at GBP £129.00

 

This gives you a single tutor, single site licence to copy student material for your own classes.

 

About the Author

The object of Case Studies in Business Law

Contents

Introduction to student materials

Sample Topic

 

For multi site and/or multi tutor use you will find our licence scheme save you money and time – the more students the lower the individual unit price.

 

From as little as £2.50 a student you can use tested, proven materials which will save you time and

enhance your college’s reputation.

 

Contact us and discuss your needs;  a sample topic can be supplied on free 30-day approval.

 

The Tutor's Manual accompanies the electronic and hard copy student materials Case Studies in Business Law by Jeffrey Young and contains model answers, notes and OHPs for supporting and enhancing class sessions.

 

The materials in it are copyright protected and all rights are reserved.  Licences are available for copying the student materials from Elm Publications, Seaton House, Kings Ripton, Huntingdon PE28 2NJ telephone 01487-773238 or 01487-773254  fax 01487-773359 email elm@elm-training.co.uk

 

About the author

 

Jeffrey Young is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Oxford Brookes University.  A qualified Solicitor, he has taught on a wide range of Business and Management programmes over 20 years and has considerable experience in teaching ‘law to non-lawyers’.

He has been a visiting lecturer at Universities in Spain, Germany and the U.S.A. and has regularly addressed conferences in the U.K. for those involved in personnel work.

His current research interest include developing teaching materials for electronic delivery.

 

The object of

Case Studies in Business Law

 

The original 'inspiration' for the case-studies books was the fact that the ever increasing demands placed on those teaching in Higher Education generated by expanding student numbers and the range of courses that now feature an element of Business Law had produced a need to help the non-law specialist develop materials suitable for their particular courses.

 

This trend continues.

 

This edition of Case Studies in Business Law contains 22 new and contemporary case studies which can be adapted for a variety of uses to include assignments; presentations in class; and exam questions. The material should be tailored by the tutor to the demands of the course.

 

The Suggested Marking Schemes are intended to be an example of a good answer to the case study.  They are not 'model answers', for there is rarely a definitive answer to a legal problem.

 

The opportunity has been taken, where appropriate, to suggest alternatives and to set out additional material to an extent not possible under examination conditions, but possible if the material has been used for an assignment. Obviously, the tutor’s marking scheme will reflect the conditions under which the task was set.

 

Students should be encouraged to adopt a 'methodology' for answering case-studies along the following lines:-

 

          (i)      outline the salient facts briefly;

 

          (ii)      analyse the points of law emerging from the facts;

 

          (iii)     explain the arguments available to the plaintiff;

                   explain the arguments available to the defendant;

 

(iv)             draw conclusions as instructed (i.e. Advise X…);

 

Contents

SECTION A: CONTRACT LAW

This section includes case-studies designed to test the 'essentials' of contract law, i.e.

 

offer and acceptance                                   counter offer

revocation                                                     consideration

promissory estoppel                                    intention

capacity                                                         legality

terms of contract                                          misrepresentation

mistake                                                         breach

damages                                                      

 

 

FORMATION OF A CONTRACT

            1. AutoLoan                               - formation of contract

 

            2. 'Death and Glory'                  - offer and acceptance

 

            3. T.V. Stores                            - offer and acceptance

 

            4. A matter of degree               - intention / consideration

 

STATEMENTS AND TERMS OF CONTRACT

            5. The Extension                       - conditions and warranties

 

FACTORS THAT VITIATE A CONTRACT

            6. Valerie’s Florists                   - misrepresentation

            7. Miss Lucy                               - duress/undue influence / mistake

 

BREACH OF CONTRACT AND REMEDIES                              

            8. Carla’s Restaurant                - breach / damages

 

SECTION B CONTRACT FOR THE SALE OF GOODS

 

This section builds upon section A and assumes that the student now has a grasp of the basic principles of contract. These case studies test the student’s understanding of  STATUTORY implied terms and introduce the notion of statutory control in contract by way of examining, in part, the

SALE OF GOODS ACT 1979

SUPPLY OF GOODS AND SERVICES ACT 1982

TRADE DESCRIPTIONS ACT 1968

            9. Bumble and Sons                 - implied terms as to quality

 

            10. The Porsche                       - title and risk

 

            11. Tweezer                               - goods / delivery / risk

 

            12. Oscar                                   - title /sale by non-owner

 

            13. Breugel The Elder              - misrepresentation / implied terms as to quality and description

SECTION C: MANUFACTURERS' LIABILITY FOR DEFECTIVE GOODS  [CONSUMER PROTECTION]

            14. Rebel Brewery                    - Consumer Protection Act 1987

 

            15. The Caravan Hitch             - negligence c.f. Consumer Protection Act

 

SECTION D: CONSUMER CREDIT

            16. Jack’s Finances                 - termination of credit agreement / cancellation / s.90 Consumer Credit Act 1974

SECTION E: THIRD PARTY RIGHTS - AGENCY

            17. Tailends Off-licence           - agents' authority 

SECTION F: COMPETITION LAW

            18.  Clearsoft plc                       - Articles 85+86 Treaty of Rome

 

SECTION G: CASE STUDIES WHICH INCORPORATE MANY OF THE ABOVE ELEMENTS (and so may be more suitable for terminal assessment/ examination purposes)

            19. Drusilla’s Gallery                - Contract for work and material; Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982; exclusion clauses; Unfair Contract terms Act 1977; reasonableness; breach; damages.

 

            20. Dobson + Sons                  - Contract for work and materials; contract for sale of goods; Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982; Sale of Goods Act 1979; Consumer Protection Act 1987.

 

            21. The Super Grass-grazer    - Contract for sale of goods; Agency; Sale of Goods Act 1979; exclusion clause; consumer/non-consumer; Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.

 

            22. Badger Builders                 - Contract for work and materials; sale of goods; exclusion clause; Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982;Sale of Goods Act 1979; Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.


 

INTRODUCTION to student materials

ADVICE TO STUDENTS ON ANSWERING CASE STUDIES IN LAW

 

The purpose of case studies

 

These case studies have been prepared in order to give you the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the legal principles involved in various business situations. They are not intended to be problems which require you to produce an absolute and definitive solution. They are more appropriately seen as 'springboards' for your knowledge within a prescribed set of circumstances.

 

Notes on answering technique

 

To do well it is necessary to learn the technique of answering problems properly. The following is intended to help you acquire that technique. Your answer should:-

 

1. Identify the issues raised by the question.

 

This is very important and gives shape to your answer. It indicates to the examiner that you appreciate what he is asking you about. This is as important as actually answering the questions of law raised by that issue. The issues should be identified in the first paragraph of the answer.

 

2. Deal with those issues (and only those issues) one by one as they arise in the course of the problem.

 

NEVER put in irrelevant material simply to show that you have learned something.

 

3. If the answer to an issue turns on a provision of a statute, CITE that provision briefly,

 

(but do not quote at length from any statute you may be permitted to bring into the examination hall).Having cited the provision, show how it is relevant to the question.

 

4.  CITE the relevant cases

 

'Citing cases' does not mean writing down the nature of every case that happens to deal with the general topic with which you are concerned and then detailing all the facts you can think of ! You should cite only the most relevant cases - there may perhaps only be one. No more facts should be stated than are absolutely essential to establish the relevance of the case. If there is a relevant case, but you cannot remember its name, it is sufficient to refer to it as 'one' decided case rather than fail to mention it at all.

 

5. Summarise your conclusions in such a way that you answer the question

 

A question will often say at the end simply 'Advise A', or B, or C, etc. The advice will usually turn on the individual answer to a number of issues. The final paragraph should pull those individual answers together and actually give the advice required. For example, it may begin something like:  'My advice to A is that ...'

 

6. Please note

 

The case studies in this Manual are based on real situations, but the names and other material facts have been altered to preserve anonymity.  We have tried to avoid using any real company or individual names.  If there is a similarity, this is accidental.  Although care has been taken to ensure that points of law are covered, this material is intended to offer guidance only for the purposes of teaching and training.  If you wish to use the material to support a real legal situation, you are advised to consult a professional legal practitioner.

Sample Topic

 

Please choose a topic to test with your students. Email, telephone, fax or write to us, we will post you the material to try.

 

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