LW242-5-QS-:
Commercial Contract Law
2025/26
Essex Law School
Spring - Partner
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 12 January 2026
Friday 20 March 2026
15
16 September 2024
Requisites for this module
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This 15 credit module, taught over one term, will build on the general contract law principles taught in Contract Law introducing students to some key legal and policy issues surrounding the regulation of contracts between parties acting in the course of a business.
The module begins with discussion of applicability of the general rules of contract law to contracts between parties acting in the course of a business; the bifurcation in regulation between such 'business to business' (B2B) contracts and business to consumer (B2C) contracts in recent times; debates as to appropriate underpinning values and principles; and the globalisation of B2B contracts.
It then considers: the implied terms and remedies applicable to supply of defective goods (including issues of damages, rejection, termination, rights to cure etc; rules on exclusion of liability; rules on passing of property; and topical legal policy questions and reform debates (e.g. as to Europeanisation of B2B contract law and the balance between freedom and fairness).
The module aims to enable students to understand, apply to problems and critically appraise (doctrine and policy issues related to) conformity standards and remedies in sales contracts and the promotion of corporate social responsibility in commercial contracts.
Upon successful completion of the module the students will be able to demonstrate the following:
1. An understanding of the 'place' of B2B (Business to Business) contracts in relation to general contract law, consumer law, domestic law, supranational law and debates as to values and policy aims
2. An understanding of the key sources of the relevant rules
3. An understanding of the nature/meaning of the relevant rules
4. An ability to apply the relevant rules to hypothetical problem situations
5. An ability to provide clear, well-structured and critical evaluation of the relevant rules
1. Introduction: general contract law, distinctions from consumer contract law; values; Europeanisation and globalisation
2. Implied terms as to description, quality and fitness for particular purpose
3. Remedies: -rejection/termination (including restrictions based on slight breach, rights to cure and 'acceptance')
4. Meaning of corporate social responsibility and its importance in commercial relations and contracts.
5. Contractual methods for promoting corporate social responsibility in commercial relations.
6. Comparison of the contractual method of promoting corporate social responsibility and the administrative enforcement via unfair commercial practices.
One two hour lecture per week
Three Tutorials
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Additional coursework information
100 per cent Coursework Mark
Two-part course of essay and problem questions.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Christopher Willett, email: cwillett@essex.ac.uk.
Professor Chris Willett, Onyeka Osyji
Law General Office, Undergraduate Administrator, telephone: 01206 872529 email: lawugadmin@essex.ac.uk
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Dr Joseph Mante
Robert Gordon University
Principal Lecturer
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
Essex Law School
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
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