Following the recent UK Supreme Court judgment in Pakistan International Airlines Corporation v Times Travel (UK) Ltd, arguments founded on lawful act duress will be difficult to get off the ground.
The principle of unlawful act economic duress is well established in English law. A threat of violence or a threat to breach a contract, for example, to coerce a party to agree to a contract variation on unfavorable terms, is likely to be the basis for unlawful act economic duress. Providing that the party which is on the receiving end of the duress acts reasonably promptly, the contract may be voidable.
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