MBE Rules · Contracts
Duress
The rule
A contract is voidable if assent was induced by an improper threat that left the victim no reasonable alternative. Economic duress (e.g., threats to breach an existing contract leaving the victim with no commercial alternative) qualifies.
In plain English
If someone forces you into a contract by threatening you in a way that leaves you no other choice, you can cancel that contract.
Worked example
A supplier threatens to stop delivering essential goods unless a buyer agrees to a new, more expensive contract. The buyer, having no other supplier, can void the new contract due to duress.
Memory hook
Duress: Threat + No Out. If coercion gives no choice, contracts can void.
The trap
Students think: any threat voids a contract. Wrong, because only improper threats with no alternatives qualify. The actual test is coercion + no reasonable alternative.
How examiners test it
The MBE loves: business threatens breach unless terms change. Trap: students overlook reasonable alternatives like seeking specific performance or damages.
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