We will be closed from 5pm BST on Friday 1st May for the Early May bank holiday, re-opening at 8.30am BST on Tuesday 5th May. Any orders placed during this period will be processed when we re-open.

The recent financial crisis has questioned whether existing contracts may be adapted, terminated or renegotiated as a result of unexpected circumstances. The question is not a new one. In medieval times the notion of clausula rebus sic stantibus was developed to cope with such situations, and Germany introduced the theory of Wegfall der Geschäftsgrundlage. In England, the Coronation cases provided one possible answer. This comparative study explores the possibility of classifying jurisdictions as 'open' or 'closed' in this regard.