The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 at 25

In this book, practitioners, judges and academics provide a comprehensive assessment of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999, a legislative cornerstone of English contract law.

The 1999 Act is a central statute in contract law, which transformed the rules on privity. Yet comparatively little is written on it. On the Act's 25th anniversary this study fills that gap. Experts in the field from academia and practice assess its reach and impact, shedding light on its areas of complexity. In addition to essays addressing the main provisions of the 1999 Act and the remedies that can be pursued under it, the consequences of the legislation on arbitration, banking, construction, employment, insurance, shipping and many other specialist fields are considered. The volume is introduced and concluded by reflections on the Act's history and future by Lord Burrows and Lady Justice Cockerill. This is a seminal reference work for all practitioners engaging with the 1999 Act, as well as scholars and students of contract law.

Janet O'Sullivan is Professor of Private Law at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow and the Vice-Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge, UK.

Photograph courtesy of University of Cambridge.