Very often it won't be only the result that is promised. It might be for the simple transport of a book. But for most services won't I be concerned to appoint someone I can trust? If I appoint a tip-top firm of removers, I wouldn't have thought this was simply a contract to get my stuff loaded at A, get it to B and procure its unloading at B. If so, if the removers subcontracted then surely they'd be in breach. Andrew

I agree with Stéphane, and think it comes down to what exactly is promised.  Is it the result that has been promised, or is it the act/attempt, or both?  If it is only the result that is promised, I can't see any problem in principle with subcontracting the work out to someone else.

Krish

On Thu, 17 Nov 2022 at 10:24, Stéphane Sérafin <Stephane.Serafin@uottawa.ca> wrote:

Absent a duty requiring personal service in the contract I don’t really see what the problem with delegated performance would be. The promisor is bound to deliver the book, and if the book is not delivered then the promisor is liable for breach. But if the promisor does deliver the book to the promisee, even through an intermediary, then the book has been delivered.

 

Not to go full civilian here but the Civil Code of Québec has an article that expressly deals with this issue – art. 1555 – and I see no reason to think that the common law position should be much different.

 

From: Andrew Tettenborn <a.m.tettenborn@swansea.ac.uk>
Sent: November 17, 2022 1:14 PM
To: Jason W Neyers <jneyers@uwo.ca>; obligations <obligations@uwo.ca>
Subject: Re: ODG: Vicarious Performance in Contract Law

 

Attention : courriel externe | external email

There certainly are some cases where subcontracting has deprived a claimant of the right to the price. A nice one is the solicitors' case of Pearless de Rougemont & Co v Pilbrow [1999] 3 All E.R. 355, where a law firm delegated a job in breach of contract to an unqualified employee: the court was clear that however well the latter actually did the job the firm hadn't rendered contractual performance and couldn't claim their fee. -Andrew

 

On 17/11/2022 17:14, Jason W Neyers wrote:

Dear Colleagues:

 

Suppose that A wants to ship something (a book) from Toronto to X in another location. A contracts with B Ltd. to do the shipping. The book arrives and X takes possession. It turns out that as a matter of fact B Ltd. did not do the shipping (or all of the shipping) but instead that other contractors did. Can A sue for breach? Can A refuse to pay the contract price if it is demanded by B Ltd? Why is the answer to these questions generally no? Is it just a question of contract interpretation or is there some legal recognition that B Ltd actually performed the contract through the “agency” of the other contractors, who performed on B Ltd’s behalf?

 

If anyone has any views on this or knows of any good discussions in caselaw, article or textbooks, I would be delighted to be pointed in the right direction.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Jason Neyers
Professor of Law
Faculty of Law
Western University
Law Building Rm 26
e. jneyers@uwo.ca
t. 519.661.2111 (x88435)

 

 

You're receiving this message because you're a member of the obligations group from The University of Western Ontario. To take part in this conversation, reply all to this message.

View group files   |   Leave group   |   Learn more about Microsoft 365 Groups

--
br>

--

 

 

 

 

Andrew Tettenborn Professor of Commercial Law, Swansea University Institute for International Shipping and Trade Law School of Law, University of Swansea Richard Price Building Singleton Park SWANSEA SA2 8PP Phone 01792-602724 / (int) +44-1792-602724 Fax 01792-295855 / (int) +44-1792-295855

Andrew Tettenborn Athro yn y Gyfraith Fasnachol, Prifysgol Abertawe Sefydliad y Gyfraith Llongau a Masnach Ryngwladol Ysgol y Gyfraith, Prifysgol Abertawe Adeilad Richard Price Parc Singleton ABERTAWE SA2 8PP Ffôn 01792-602724 / (rhyngwladol) +44-1792-602724 Ffacs 01792-295855 / (rhyngwladol) +44-1792-295855

 

See us on Twitter: @swansea_dst
Read the IISTL Blog: iistl.wordpress.com
My publications can be found here and here and here
Member of the Heterodox Academy and member and adviser of the Free Speech Union

 

 

Disclaimer: This email (including any attachments) is for the use of the intended recipient only and may contain confidential information and/or copyright material. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately and delete this email and all copies from your system. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, reproduction, copying, distribution, or other form of unauthorized dissemination of the contents is expressly prohibited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

Krish Maharaj, BCOM, LLB, LLM, PhD

www.linkedin.com/in/krish-maharaj

Member of the British Columbia and Alberta Bars