Title: Covid 19, Frustration of Purpose and Impossibility

Language: English

Type: Blog/Article

Nature: Website

Published: December 28, 2023


Region: Global

Country: Global / Non-Specific

Keywords: Disruption and PPPs **

Document Link(s):


Document Summary:

Frustration of purpose refers to situations in which performance of a contract becomes worthless to a contracting party. 


Document Details:

mpossibility—or impracticability—is essentially the inverse of frustration of purpose; instead of the purpose of the contract being made impossible, it is the actual performance of the contract that is impossible. Much like frustration of purpose, there are strict requirements that must be met to invoke this defense, namely the occurrence of a supervening event, the non-occurrence of which was a basic assumption on which both parties made the contract. Interestingly enough, the first example of impossibility or impracticability found in the Restatement involves the closing of a port due to a quarantine. Clearly the Restatement contemplates the use of the defense of impossibility where delivery of goods has been made impossible by quarantine restrictions.


Updated: December 28, 2023