Table of Cases xi
Table of Statutes xxi
Table of Statutory Instruments xxv

Part I Judicial Control 1
1 Incorporation of Exclusion Clauses Introduction 3
Incorporation—Establishing the intention of the parties 5
2 Interpretation of Exclusion Clauses The general approach to interpretation 34
Some special exclusion clauses 58 Whether exclusion clauses are available to third parties 65
3 Avoidance and Qualification of Exclusion Clauses Onus of proof 77
Liability for fraud 78 Liability for breach of fiduciary duty Liability for breach of rules of natural justice 79 Oral undertakings 80 Misrepresenting the effects of a term 82 Fundamental terms and fundamental breach 83 Excluding the obligation to perform 85
4 Harsh and Unconscionable Bargains 88 Unconscionable bargains 88 Reasonableness 91

Part II Legislative Control 97
5 Unlawful Exclusion Clauses Fair Trading Act 1973 Consumer Transactions (Restrictions on Statements) Order 1976 102 (S.I. 1976 No. 1813)
6 Void and Ineffective Exclusion Clauses H5 Consumer credit 115 Transport H Housing Seeds 11
7 Patents H 8 Feeding stuffs H 8 Consumer protection legislation Disability discrimination 11
Social security H Solicitor and client H Employment H Late payment 120 The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: Some Preliminary Points The anti-avoidance provisions 121 Varieties of exemption clause 122 Set-off 123 Imposing time limits Arbitration agreements International supply contracts Choice of law clauses 124 Carriage contracts Exclusion of liability 125 Terms authorised or required 126 Specified exclusions Securities Interests in land 128 Intellectual property 130 Marine contracts Employment 131
8 The Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: Areas of Application Business liability Negligence liability 135
Death or personal injury Negligence having other consequences Assumption of risk The application of section 3: written standard term contracts 1 Negotiating the exclusion clause 141 Using out-of-date terms Contracts on trade association terms 142 The other party's "business" The application of section 3: contracts with a consumer 144 The applicability of section 3: in the event of a breach 146
The applicability of section 3: non-breach cases variations in performance 146
The applicability of section 3: non-breach cases total non-performance 149 Excluding terms as to title 150 Excluding terms as to quality, etc. Misrepresentation 151 Indemnities Guarantees 154 9 The Reasonableness Test The statutory guidelines 159 Pleading the Act 161 Liability limited to a specified sum 161 Consumer contracts 163 Reasonable clauses in consumer contracts 164 Business contracts 168 The sole trader 174 The position of finance companies 175 Whether the clause has been previously relied on 179 Notices not having contractual effect 180 Pre-1978 authorities 180 Acknowledgment of examination clauses 181Misrepresentation 182 The value of precedent 184 Upholding previous rulings 185 Fair and reasonable 186 Consequences of unreasonableness for the contract 186 Action against unfair terms under other enactments 186 10 The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations Introduction Scope of the Regulations 190 A "consumer" 191 Seller or supplier 192 Transactions outside the Regulations 193 Individual negotiation 194 Rules for assessing fairness 194 Exclusion of core provisions 199 Using core provisions to judge other terms 202 OFT's experience 202 OFT's Guide to Unfair Terms 204 Precedent on the question of unfairness 205 Written contracts and plain language 211 Prevention of continued use of unfair terms 217 Dealing with complaints 219 Application for an injunction 221 Applicable law 224 11 A Checklist 229 Scope of the enactments 229 Comparison of provisions 231
Index 237