In Contract Law
| Contract law |
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| Part of the common law series |
| Contract formation |
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| Defenses against formation |
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| Contract interpretation |
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| Excuses for non-performance |
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| Rights of third parties |
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| Breach of contract |
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| Remedies |
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| Quasi-contractual obligations |
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| Implied In Fact Contracts |
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| Related areas of law |
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| Other common law areas |
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Duress in the context of contract law is a common law defense, and if one is successful in proving that the contract is vitiated by duress, the contract may be rescinded, since it is then voidable.
Duress has been defined as a "threat of harm made to compel a person to do something against his or her will or judgment; esp., a wrongful threat made by one person to compel a manifestation of seeming assent by another person to a transaction without real volition". - Black's Law Dictionary (8th ed. 2004)
Duress in contract law falls into two broad categories:
- Physical duress, and
- Economic duress
Read more about this topic: Duress
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