Law Reform Among the unseen revolutions in English life is
the work done by Lord Wright's Law Revision Committee ; no doubt the committee, which is refashioning the law of England, prefers to work with as little publicity as possible. In its sixth interim report the Committee makes recommendations, which will probably become law next year, which amount to repealing the Statute of Frauds of Charles II, and its 're- enactment in the Sale of Goods Act, 1893, and to all but abolition of the famous doctrine of " consideration," in spite of the valuable elasticity it has given to the law of contract. The first recommendation will repeal the provision that contracts of kw and over need the evidence of some memorandum in writing by the party to be charged if they are to be enforced ; the second will have the effect that any con- tract in writing will create an enforceable obligation, even though it implies that one party is giving something for nothing. The repeal of section 4 of the Sale of Goods Act has been advocated by many famous jurists, who have held that it promoted rather than prevented fraud ; the doctrine of " consideration." has come to be avoided by various legal fictions. The Committee's recommendations will no doubt offend some lawyers to whom the pact is sacred, but in compensation it has spared " specialities," or contracts under seal, which Mr. Justice Goddard says will be merely useless lumber.
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