Legal World

Section 187 Contract Act — Definitions of express and implied authority

The Indian Contract Act, 1872 · Official PDF page 43

Open in NyayaOfficial PDF, page 43

187. Definitions of express and implied authority .—An authority is said to be express when it is given by words spoken or written. An authority is said to be implied when it is to be inferred from the circumstances of the case; and things spoken or written, or the ordinary course of dealing, may be accounted circumstances of the case.

Illustration A owns a shop in Serampore, living himself in Calcutta, and visi ting the shop occasionally. The shop is managed by B, and he is in the habit of ordering goods from C in the name of A for the purposes of the shop, and of paying for them out of A’s funds with A’s knowledge. B has an implied authority from A to order goods from C in the name of A for the purposes of the shop.

Text extracted from the official PDF (India Code source copy; consolidation date not certified). Line breaks and footnote marks may differ; the PDF is the authority.

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