NCA Contracts case studies
NCA Contracts · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The NCA Contracts Exam is one of the subject-specific assessments used in the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) process for internationally trained lawyers and others seeking to demonstrate Canadian common law competence. It is a single-subject examination focused entirely on the common law of contracts, so it rewards depth over breadth: candidates are expected to reason through fact patterns, apply doctrine, and reach a defensible conclusion rather than simply recall rules. The NCA Contracts case studies are 5 cases and about 2,167 words.
1The Cancelled Wedding Marquee
Harbour Events Ltd emailed a wedding venue on 3 May offering to supply a marquee, lighting and staff for a fixed fee of £18,000, stating: 'This offer stays open until 30 May and is not revocable.' The venue replied on 6 May: 'We are interested. Can you confirm the staff-to-guest ratio?' Harbour answered the query the same day.
460 words, about 2 min2The Retrofitted Warehouse Racking
A logistics company signed a three-year contract with a warehouse operator for storage of 4,000 pallets. The written agreement contained an entire-agreement clause, a clause excluding liability for 'loss of profit or business interruption however arising', and a clause limiting total liability to the fees paid in the preceding 12 months.
415 words, about 2 min3The Apprentice Who Signed Too Quickly
A 17-year-old apprentice chef, employed full-time and living independently, signed a two-year lease for a flat near the restaurant. The lease included a break clause requiring six months' written notice and a penalty of three months' rent (£4,500) for early termination.
444 words, about 2 min4The Late Delivery of the Festival Stage
A festival organiser contracted a staging company to build a main stage for a three-day event starting 1 August, with a clause stating: 'Time is of the essence. Completion by 25 July is a condition of this contract.' The staging company was delayed because its usual steel supplier failed to deliver; it sourced steel elsewhere at an extra £30,000 but finished on 30 July.
443 words, about 2 min5The Consultant Bound by a Side Promise
A software firm asked a freelance consultant to help win a public contract. The firm promised in writing: 'If we win, we will pay you a £25,000 success fee and give you a non-executive role.' The consultant worked for six weeks unpaid, relying on the promise, and turned down two other engagements worth £12,000.
405 words, about 2 min