Disclaimer: This work was produced by one of our expert legal writers, as a learning aid to help law students with their studies.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of LawTeacher.net. Any information contained in this case summary does not constitute legal advice and should be treated as educational content only.

McRae v Commonwealth Disposals Commission

295 words (2 pages) Case Summary

07 Mar 2018 Case Summary Reference this LawTeacher

Jurisdiction / Tag(s): Australian Law

Legal Case Summary

McRae v Commonwealth Disposals Commission (1951) 84 CLR 377

Contract Law – Australia – Common Mistake – Performance – Mistake – Subject Matter – Damages

Facts

The complainant, McRae, won a tender from the defendants, Commonwealth Disposals Commission, to retrieve an oil tanker that was on Jourmaund Reef near Samarai. However, when the complainant went to the location, after laying out significant expenses for the salvage, they discovered that in fact there was no oil tanker. The Commonwealth Disposals Commission had only heard that there was an oil tanker there from gossip. They later learned that it was not.

Issues

At first instance, it was held that there was no contract between the complainant and the defendant. However, this decision was appealed by McRae. The complainant sought damages from the defendant for breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation of the oil tanker and for damages since they did not disclose the information about the oil tanker when it came to their knowledge that it did not exist. The defendants argued that they had no liability to pay damages for breach of contract, as it was void by common mistake that the oil tanker did not exist. The issue in this case was whether the complainant could recover damages and if the contract could be void by a common mistake.

Decision / Outcome

It was held that the complainant was entitled for damages from the defendant. The contract was not null and void because of a common mistake. A contract did exist between the complainant and the defendant and since this oil tanker did not exist, this was a breach of contract. Thus, the complainant was entitled to damages for breach of contract and for the purchase price amount of the oil tanker, as well as the expenses paid out for the salvage operation.

LawTeacher

LawTeacher

LawTeacher.net is the UK’s leading provider of academic legal support, offering both writing services and an extensive collection of law study resources for students in the UK and overseas.

Founded in 2003 by Grey’s Inn graduate Barclay Littlewood, the Company was built on a commitment to excellence, with unique guarantees and a high standard of service from day one.

The team includes over 500 UK legally qualified writing experts, with many practising solicitors and barristers, and several former lecturers.

Areas of Legal Expertise

Contract Law Criminal Law Constitutional and Administrative Law EU Law Tort Law Property Law Equity and Trusts Jurisprudence Company Law Commercial Law Family Law Human Rights Law Employment Law Evidence Public International Law Legal Research and Methods Dispute Resolution Business Law and Practice Civil Litigation Criminal Litigation Professional Conduct Taxation Wills and Administration of Estates Solicitors’ Accounts

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:

Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.

Related Services

View all

Related Content

Jurisdictions / Tags

Content relating to: “Australian Law”

This selection of academic papers covers the legal system of Australia and contains, essays, dissertations and case summaries which may be of interest to Australian law students or those studying Australian laws from outside Australia.

Related Articles

Prices from

£ 99

Estimated costs for: Undergraduate 2:2 • 1000 words • 7 day delivery

Place an order

Delivered on-time or your money back

Reviews.co.uk Logo (292 Reviews)

Rated 4.2 / 5

Give yourself the academic edge today

Each order includes

  • On-time delivery or your money back
  • A fully qualified writer in your subject
  • In-depth proofreading by our Quality Control Team
  • 100% confidentiality, the work is never re-sold or published
  • Standard 7-day amendment period
  • A paper written to the standard ordered
  • A detailed plagiarism report
  • A comprehensive quality report