Indian Contracts Act 1872
Indian Contract Act 1872 is the main source of law regulating contracts in Indian law.
Citation Act No. 9 of 1872
Enacted by Parliament of India
Date enacted 25 April 1872
Date commenced 1 September 1872
The law relating to contracts in India is contained in Indian Contract Act, 1872. The Act was passed by British India and is based on the principles of English Common Law. It is applicable to the All States of India except the State of Jammu & Kashmir. It determines the circumstances in which promise made by the parties to a contract shall be legally binding on them. All of us enter into a number of contracts everyday knowingly or unknowingly. Each contract creates some right and duties upon the contracting parties. Indian contract deals with the enforcement of these rights and duties upon the parties in India.
History
The Indian Contract Act came into force on 1 September 1872. It Was Enacted Mainly With a View To ensure Reasonable Fulfillment of Expectation Created By the promises of the parties and also enforcement of obligations prescribed by an agreement between the parties.The Third Law commission of British India formed in 1861 under the stewardship of chairman Sir John Romilly, with initial members as Sir Edward Ryan, R. Lowe, J.M. Macleod, Sir W. Erle (succeeded by Sir. W.M. James) and Justice Wills (succeeded by J. Henderson), had presented the report on contract law for India as Draft Contract Law (1866). The Draft Law was enacted as The Act 9 of 1872 on 25 April 1872 and the Indian Contract Act, 1872 came into force with effect from 1 September 1872.
Before the enactment of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, there was no codified law for contract in India. In the Presidency Towns of Madras, Bombay and Calcutta law relating to contract was dealt with the Charter granted in 1726 by King George I to the East India Company. Thereafter in 1781, in the Presidency Towns, Act of Settlement passed by