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Contracts Act 1950 [Act 136]
Principal's duty to Agent
175 Agent to be indemnified against consequences of lawful acts cite [+]
The employer of an agent is bound to indemnify him against the consequences of all lawful acts done by the agent in exercise of the authority conferred upon him.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) B, at Kelang, under instructions from A, of Taiping, contracts with C to deliver certain goods to him. A does not send the goods to B, and C sues B for breach of contract. B informs A of the suit, and A authorizes him to defend the suit. B defends the suit, and is compelled to pay damages and costs, and incurs expenses. A is liable to B for such damages, costs and expenses.
(b) B, a broker at Taiping, by the orders of A, a merchant there, contracts with C for the purchase of 10 casks of oil for A. Afterwards A refuses to receive the oil, and C sues B. B informs A, who repudiates the contract altogether. B defends, but unsuccessfully, and has to pay damages and costs, and incurs expenses. A is liable to B for such damages, costs and expenses.
176 Agent to be indemnified against consequences of acts done in good faith cite [+]
Where one person employs another to do an act, and the agent does the act in good faith, the employer is liable to indemnify the agent against the consequences of that act, though it cause an injury to the rights of third persons.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A, a decree-holder and entitled to execution of B's goods, requires the officer of the court to seize certain goods, representing them to be the goods of B. The officer seizes the goods, and is sued by C, the true owner of the goods. A is liable to indemnify the officer for the sum which he is compelled to pay to C, in consequence of obeying A's directions.
(b) B, at the request of A, sells goods in the possession of A, but which A had no right to dispose of. B does not know this, and hands over the proceeds of the sale to A. Afterwards C, the true owner of the goods, sues B and recovers the value of the goods and costs. A is liable to indemnify B for what he has been compelled to pay to C and for B's own expenses.
177 Non-liability of employer of agent to do a criminal act cite [+]
Where one person employs another to do an act which is criminal, the employer is not liable to the agent, either upon an express or an implied promise, to indemnify him against the consequences of that act.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A employs B to beat C, and agrees to indemnify him against all consequences of the act. B thereupon beats C, and has to pay damages to C for so doing. A is not liable to indemnify B for those damages.
(b) B, the proprietor of a newspaper, publishes, at A's request, a libel upon C in the paper, and A agrees to indemnify B against the consequences of the publication, and all costs and damages of any action in respect thereof. B is sued by C and has to pay damages, and also incurs expenses. A is not liable to B upon the indemnity.
178 Compensation to agent for injury caused by principal's neglect cite [+]
The principal must make compensation to his agent in respect of injury caused to the agent by the principal's neglect or want of skill.
ILLUSTRATION
A employs B as a bricklayer in building a house, and puts up the scaffolding himself. The scaffolding is unskillfully put up, and B is in consequence hurt. A must make compensation to B.
Effect of Agency on Contract with Third Persons
179 Enforcement and consequences of agent's contracts cite [+]
Contracts entered into through an agent, and obligations arising from acts done by an agent, may be enforced in the same manner, and will have the same legal consequences as if the contracts had been entered into and the acts done by the principal in person.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A buys goods from B, knowing that he is an agent for their sale, but not knowing who is the principal. B's principal is the person entitled to claim from A the price of the goods, and A cannot, in a suit by the principal, set-off against that claim a debt due to himself from B.
(b) A, being B's agent, with authority to receive money on his behalf, receives from C a sum of money due to B. C is discharged of his obligation to pay the sum in question to B.
180 Principal how far bound when agent exceeds authority cite [+]
When an agent does more than he is authorized to do, and when the part of what he does, which is within his authority, can be separated from the part which is beyond his authority, so much only of what he does as is within his authority is binding as between him and his principal.
ILLUSTRATION
A, being owner of a ship and cargo, authorizes B to procure an insurance for RM4,000 on the ship. B procures a policy for RM4,000 on the ship, and another for the like sum on the cargo. A is bound to pay the premium for the policy on the ship, but not the premium for the policy on the cargo.
181 Principal not bound when excess of agent's authority is not separable cite [+]
Where an agent does more than he is authorized to do, and what he does beyond the scope of his authority cannot be separated from what is within it, the principal is not bound to recognise the transaction.
ILLUSTRATION
A authorizes B to buy 500 sheep for him. B buys 500 sheep and 200 lambs for one sum of RM6,000. A may repudiate the whole transaction.
182 Consequences of notice given to agent cite [+]
Any notice given to or information obtained by the agent, provided it be given or obtained in the course of the business transacted by him for the principal, shall, as between the principal and third parties, have the same legal consequence as if it had been given to or obtained by the principal.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A is employed by B to buy from C certain goods, of which C is the apparent owner, and buys them accordingly. In the course of the treaty for the sale, A learns that the goods really belonged to D, but B is ignorant of that fact. B is not entitled to set-off a debt owing to him from C against the price of the goods.
(b) A is employed by B to buy from C goods of which C is the apparent owner. A was, before he was so employed, a servant of C, and then learnt that the goods really belonged to D, but B is ignorant of that fact. In spite of the knowledge of his agent, B may set-off against the price of the goods a debt owing to him from C.
183 Agent cannot personally enforce, nor be bound by, contracts on behalf of principal cite [+]
In the absence of any contract to that effect, an agent cannot personally enforce contracts entered into by him on behalf of his principal, nor is he personally bound by them.
Such a contract shall be presumed to exist in the following cases:
(a) where the contract is made by an agent for the sale or purchase of goods for a merchant resident abroad;
(b) where the agent does not disclose the name of his principal; and
(c) where the principal, though disclosed, cannot be sued.
185 Performance of contract with agent supposed to be principal cite [+]
Where one man makes a contract with another, neither knowing nor having reasonable ground to suspect that the other is an agent, the principal, if he requires the performance of the contract, can only obtain the performance subject to the rights and obligations subsisting between the agent and the other party to the contract.
ILLUSTRATION
A, who owes RM500 to B, sells RM1,000 worth of rice to B. A is acting as agent for C, in the transaction, but B has no knowledge nor reasonable ground of suspicion that that is the case. C cannot compel B to take the rice without allowing him to set-off A's debt.
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