Jusletter

Table of contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Frustration
• 2.1. Frustration as legal principle
• 2.2. Specific criteria for frustration
• 2.3. The legal consequences of frustration
• 2.4. Law Reform (Frustrated Contracts) Act 1943
• 3. Frustration in times of Covid-19
• 3.1. Contract conclusion before the Covid-19 outbreak
• 3.1.1. Foreseeability
• 3.1.2. Fundamental change of the situation
• 3.2. Contract conclusion after the official declaration as pandemic
• 3.2.1. Foreseeability
• 3.2.2. Fundamental change of the situation
• 4. Force majeure
• 4.1. General principle
• 4.2. The legal consequences of the force majeure clause
• 5. Requirements for the force majeure excuse in times of Covid-19
• 5.1. Implementation of the force majeure clause in the sales contract
• 5.2. The occurrence of a force majeure event
• 5.2.1. The pandemic as the event
• 5.2.2. Subsequent effects of the pandemic as the event
• 5.3. Prevention from performance
• 5.4. Circumstances beyond a party’s reasonable control
• 5.5. Causation between event and non-performance
• 5.5.1. The event being the cause for non-performance
• 5.5.2. Other reasons for non-performance besides Covid-19
• 5.6. No reasonable steps possible to mitigate the loss
• 5.7. Burden of Proof
• 6. Government actions
• 7. Summary
• 8. Possibilities for case law developments in English courts
• 9. Closing words