Offer & Acceptance — KSLU Contract 1 Notes

Offer & Acceptance

flowchart LR
    A["Proposal / Offer<br/>S.2(a) — communicated"]:::leaf
    A --> B["Acceptance<br/>S.2(b) — absolute &<br/>unqualified (S.7)"]:::leaf
    B --> C["Promise<br/>(agreement)"]:::leaf
    C --> D["+ S.10 essentials<br/>= Contract"]:::ok

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An offer (S.2(a)) is a communicated willingness to be bound on fixed terms; it must intend legal relations, be certain (S.29), be communicated (S.4), and be distinguished from an invitation to offer (a price list, display of goods, auction catalogue, tender). It may be specific or general (to the world — Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Co., 1893). Acceptance (S.2(b)) must be absolute and unqualified (S.7) — a counter-offer kills the original offer (Hyde v. Wrench, 1840); it must be communicated (mere mental assent will not do — Brogden v. Metropolitan Railway), and silence is not acceptance (Felthouse v. Bindley, 1862).

How an offer ends — Section 6: (1) communication of revocation before acceptance, (2) lapse of time, (3) failure of a condition precedent, (4) death or insanity of the offeror known to the offeree; plus, from the general law, rejection/counter-offer and supervening illegality.