A Research Agenda for Contract Law: Introduction

Timothy J. Dodsworth, Maggie Hemsworth and Séverine Saintier

Chapter 1 in A Research Agenda for Contract Law, 2026, pp 1-24 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This introductory chapter frames the edited collection around three interconnected challenges for English contract law: risk, sustainability and vulnerability. It begins by emphasising contract law's pervasive societal and economic importance, noting that ‘radical societal and economic transformations have required continuous agile adaptability of the contract law rule book(s)’. The editors argue that accelerating global change demands a more responsive and forward-looking contract law capable of addressing emerging pressures. Each thematic section – risk, sustainability, and vulnerability – reveals how traditional doctrines struggle to accommodate contemporary realities, from insurance law's treatment of insurable interest to the regulatory role of contracts in sustainable supply chains and the multi-layered nature of vulnerability. The chapter highlights the need to break down siloed thinking and to recognise the interdependence of these themes, contending that contract law must evolve proactively to remain relevant. Ultimately, it calls for renewed conceptual and practical tools to meet society's most pressing challenges.

Keywords: Risk; Sustainability and Vulnerability; Contracts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035342570
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