Treitel: The Law of Contract by Edwin Peel
Publisher: Sweet & Maxwell
Edition: 15th Edition (March 2020)
ISBN: 978-0-41407071-4
Price: £37.95
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Now in its fifteenth edition, Treitel: The Law of Contract remains simply one of the best textbooks on contract law for both students and practitioners alike. It is both clearly written and well-research meaning that the reader can be assured of an authoritative account of the law of contract. Complex legal issues are tackled with just the right amount of detail. For example, there is a critical analysis of the law of mistake following the House of Lords’ decision in Shogun Finance Limited v Hudson [2003] UKHL 62. This is vital for both students (particularly those looking for extra marks) and practitioners advising (for example) motor finance lenders on the position where a rogue applies for, and obtains, credit from a lender.
This latest edition has been thoroughly updated to include a number of important legal cases including Arnold v Britton & Others [2015] UKSC 36 and Wood v Capita Insurance Services Limited [2017] UKSC 24 on contractual interpretation, Marks & Spencer plc v BNP Paribas Securities Services Trust Company (Jersey) Limited [2015] UKSC 72 on implied terms and Cavendish Square Holding BV v Makdessi [2015] UKSC 67 on penalties at common law. The text has also been updated to reflect the impact of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (particularly on the fairness of terms).
What remains impressive with Treitel: The Law of Contract is its balance: it is often easy for textbooks (particularly as the number of editions increase) to lose their focus. But not so with Treitel: The Law of Contract. Each chapter provides a fludily written account of the law of contract together with detailed footnotes (which often provide a treasure trove of further research materials). This is to be applauded: it means that it is a text which is close to my desk at all times.
For anyone practising or studying this intriguing and complex area of law, they need look no further than Treitel: The Law of Contract for an indispensable guide to the principles, case law and statutory provisions. Whilst students new to contract law may wish to read an introductory text to familiarise themselves with some of the basic principles, those wanting an authoritative, engaging and thought-provoking consideration of the law need look no further.
Reviewed on 24 June 2022