The value of the market price in contracts of sale: an analysis

Author: Paul Nkoane

ISSN: 2521-2575
Affiliations: BCom LLB (Unisa) LLM (UCT)
Source: Journal of Corporate and Commercial Law & Practice, Volume 9 Issue 1, 2023, p. 1 – 24
https://doi.org/10.47348/JCCL/V9/i1a1

Abstract

Every rule should be valuable to the law. More so if the rule affects the commercial interest of society. A rule may be adopted or formulated to regulate commercial transactions, particularly to support the efficiency of the market. The market price rule is formulated to measure the degree of damages a contract defaulter should pay. The rule should indeed be applied consistently and reasonably to avoid uncertainty and unfairness. It follows that the market value as a rule and measure of commercial liability should not escape analysis to determine its limitations and value in contracts of sale. Thus, this article aims to provide a thorough discourse on the market price rule and how it should be applied in contracts of sale. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive exposition of what informs the market price and how the market price affects the determination of damages in contracts of sale.