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Introduction to Business law in Ireland

Business law (or the law of business organisations) is the area of law concerning companies and other business organisations. This includes corporations, partnerships and other associations which usually carry on some form of economic or charitable activity.
If you are a law student or you have, or are thinking about, setting up your own business,this textbook will provide you with an essential grounding in company structure and law within Ireland. The structure of business and the legal requirements for partners, directors, shareholders and company secretaries are crucial in order to ensure that companies stay within the law and avoid costly and potentially devastating leadership mistakes.Business law is a broad spectrum in Irish law, is utilises various legal principles and doctrines such as the law of Contract, the law of Tort, Company law, Consumer law, the law of Agency, EU law, Employment law and of course, legal theory, jurisprudence and the fundamentals of the Irish legal system.

Legal writing in plain English. Law books using plain English which is easy to understand using clear concise plain wording. Welcome to my series of law textbooks for beginners.

Business law is a broad spectrum in Irish law, is utilises various legal principles and doctrines such as the law of Contract, the law of Tort, Company law, Consumer law, the law of Agency, Employment law, and of course, the fundamentals of the Irish legal system.

The Law of Contract
Formation of a Contract
Offer
Distinction between Offer and Invitation to Treat
Termination of an offer
Acceptance
The Postal Rule (for acceptance)
Intention to Create Legal Relations (intention to be legally bound)
Family, Domestic or Social
Commercial Arrangements (courts held that an intention to create legal relations is implied)
Consideration
Consideration in Bilateral Contracts
Unilateral Contracts
Executed and executory consideration
Executed Consideration (pay for at the time)
Executory Consideration (pay for it at a later date/time)
Rules of Consideration
Must be sufficient, but need not be adequate
Consideration must not be ‘past’
Must not be more than the party already has to do
Doctrine of privity of contract
Contents of a Contract
Condition
Warranty
Term or representation
Express terms
Implied Terms
Matter of Fact
Officious Bystander Test
Matter of Law
Implied under Statute
Terms implied by the Courts
Implied by Custom
The Parol Evidence Rule
Innominate term
Onus of proof
Mistake
Unilateral or bilateral mistake
Common Mistake
Section 7 of the Sale of Goods Act 1893
Mutual Mistake – Mutual misunderstanding
Unilateral Mistake
Mistaken Identity
Damages
Rectification
Recission
Specific Performance
Exemption Clauses
The legal effects of exemption/limitation clauses
Limitation Clause
Exclusion Clauses
Incorporated by Signature
Electronic Signature
Reasonable Steps
Reasonable Notice
Incorporation by Course of Dealings
Main purpose rule
Bars to exclusion/limitation clauses
Misrepresentation
Collateral Undertakings
Unconscionable Bargain
Contra Proferentem
Vitiating factors, discharge and remedy
Duress
Threats of the person
Threats to property
Threats to sue
Economic Duress
Pressure
Unlawful pressure
Causation
Remedies for Duress
Bars to remedies
Undue Influence
Presumed Undue Influence
Presumed on Relationship
Special relationships
Rebutting the presumption of Undue Influence
The effect of undue Influence
Unconscionable Bargain
Fraudulent Misrepresentation
Negligent Misrepresentation
Innocent Misrepresentation
Reliance in fact
Statements which were not believed
Silence
Exceptions to silence
Compensation
Recession
Enforcement and Abatement
Damages in Leiu
Partial rescission
Legislation
Void Contracts
Law of Tort
Law of Agency
Employment law
Consumer law
Company law
Companies Act 2014

business-law

The Law of Tort in Ireland

The Law of Tort
Torts are concerned with civil wrongs, whereby one party causes damage to another party.
         • Tort is the French word for a “wrong” or Latin for “twisted”.
• Tort is a branch of Civil Law; therefore a tort in law is called a “Civil Wrong”
• Tort law protects a variety of injuries and provides remedies (ways to fix) them.
Torts can be distinguished from legal wrongs:
A Tort is not a breach of contract, where the obligation which is alleged to have been breached arose under an agreement between two parties.  A Tort is not a crime, where the object of proceedings is to punish the offender rather than compensate the victim.
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Using tort law, an injured party can bring a civil case to seek compensation for a wrong done to the party (plaintiff, or injured party) or the party’s property.
Tort damages or compensation are monetary damages that are sought from the offending party.
They are intended to compensate the injured party for the injury suffered.
The Law of Tort
Types of Tort
Intentional Torts
Trespass to the person
Threats
Silent phone calls
Trespass torts in medicine
Defences to the tort of trespass
Consent
Self-defence
Defence of Third Persons
Lawful Authority
Defence of Property
Duress (pressure or threat)
Trespass to Land
Trespass to Goods
Conversion
Sample conversion
Chose in Action (Intangible Property – Transferable by assignment)
Trespass to Goods – Detinue
Nuisance
Private Nuisance
Locus Standi
Omissions
Damage or Interference
Material Damage
Interference with enjoyment
Magnitude of harm
Nature of locality
Defendant’s motives
Social utility
Defences to Private Nuisance
Remedies
Injunctions
Public Nuisance:
Pure Economic Loss
Remedies
Damages
Injunctions
Private Rented Tenants:
Local Authority Tenants:
Private Homeowner:
Alarms
Passing Off
Elements of Passing off
Defamation
Defences to Defamation.
Defamation Cases in Ireland
Blasphemy
Defamation Act 2010
Defences
Damages
Unintentional Torts
Negligence
Duty of Care
Irish development in duty of care
Foreseeability and Policy Factors
Contributory Negligence
The Standard of Care
Breach (of the duty of care)
Causation
Causes-in-fact
The “but for” Test
Novus Actus Interveniens
Material Contribution test
Bolitho Test
Fairchild
Remoteness
“Cause in law”
The “thin skull” rule.
Professional Negligence
Defences in Negligence
Voluntary assumption of risk (defence of consent)
Illegality
Contributory Negligence
Damages
Strict Liability Torts
The Occupiers Liability Act 1995
Vicarious Liability
Employers Liability
Liability for Defective Products
Liability for Defective Products Act 1991 (No. 28 of 1991)
Rylands V Fletcher:
Statute of limitations
The lighter side of the law
Law of Tort – Multiple Choice Questions
Law of Tort – Multiple Choice Questions – Solutions
Glossary of Terms

Authored by Teresa M Clyne MSc

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