Restraint Of Trade - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition restraint-of-trade

Definition :

Restraint of trade. Contracts in general restraint of trade--that is, that a party shall not carry on a particular trade at all--are void on the ground of public policy, Mitchel v. Reynolds, (1711) 1 P Wms 181; 1 Sm LC, but contracts in partial restraint of trade--that is, where the restraint does not extend further than is necessary for the reasonable protection of the party for whose protection it has been agreed to--are good, if made, although by deed, for some consideration, and if not injurious to the public interests of this country. See the Nordenfelt case,1894 AC 535, in which it is recognised that the law of this subject has been gradually growing in liberality, Attwood v. Lamont, (1920) 3 KB 571; Dewas v. Fitch, (1921) 2 AC 158; and consult Leake or Chitty on Contracts.

An agreement between or combination of businesses intended to eliminate competition, create a mono-poly, artificially raise prices, or otherwise ad-versely affect free market, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn.