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TypeBare Act JurisdictionCentral Government

Indian Contract Act, 1872 Section 38

Effect of Refusal to Accept Offer of Performance

~1 min read
https://sooperkanoon.com/act/14358

Bare act section · Research

About this section

Indian Contract Act, 1872 Section 38 is part of Indian Contract Act, 1872 - Effect of Refusal to Accept Offer of Performance. Read the section text below and explore Indian court judgments that cite it.

Research copy - verify against official government publications before filing or court use.

Section Text

Where a promisor has made an offer of performance to the promisee, and the offer has not been accepted, the promisor is not responsible for nonperformance, nor does he thereby lose his rights under the contract.

Every such offer must fulfill the following conditions:

(1) it must be unconditional;

(2) it must be made at a proper time and place, and under such circumstances that the person to whom it is made may have a reasonable opportunity of ascertaining that the person by whom it is made is able and willing there and then to do the whole of what he is bound by his promise to do;

(3) if the offer is an offer to deliver anything to the promisee, the promisee must have a reasonable opportunity of seeing that the thing offered is the thing which the promisor is bound by his promise to deliver.

(4) An offer to one of several joint promisees has the same legal consequences as an offer to all of them.

Illustration

A contracts to deliver to B at his warehouse, on the 1st March, 1873, 100 bales of cotton of a particular quality. In order to make an offer of a performance with the effect stated in this section, A must bring the cotton to B's warehouse, on the appointed day, under such circumstances that B may have a reasonable opportunity of satisfying himself that the thing offered is cotton of the quality contracted for, and that there are 100 bales.

Frequently asked questions

What does Indian Contract Act, 1872 Section 38 provide?

Section Section 38 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 (Effect of Refusal to Accept Offer of Performance) is reproduced on this page as part of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. Lawyers and researchers use it to read the statutory wording before checking how courts have applied this section in reported judgments.

How do I find judgments on Indian Contract Act, 1872 Section 38?

Open “Find citing judgments” on this page to search Supreme Court, High Court, and tribunal decisions that reference Indian Contract Act, 1872 Section 38. Advanced act search can narrow results by court, year, or additional act filters.

Is the section text on SooperKanoon official?

SooperKanoon hosts bare act text for research and quick reference. For filings or compliance in Central, confirm the wording against the official state gazette or authorized publication.

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