Supreme Court Watch · Term archive
Hilary Term 2024
A selected Supreme Court commercial-contract appeal heard in March 2024 on force majeure, reasonable endeavours and non-contractual performance.
Reviewed 1 November 2026 against the official case page, full judgment and three official hearing recordings. Cases are grouped by hearing term; the judgment was delivered later in 2024.
Each entry is an original, concise research summary based on the Court’s official case record. Hearing dates may change. After a hearing, the official case page normally adds recordings; when judgment is delivered, it adds the judgment, neutral citation and press summary. Those materials remain on the Court’s website and are linked here rather than reproduced.
RTI Ltd v MUR Shipping BV
Question before the Court
Whether reasonable endeavours to overcome force majeure required acceptance of payment in a currency different from that specified in the contract.
Why it matters
The Court unanimously allowed MUR’s appeal. Without clear wording, reasonable endeavours did not require acceptance of non-contractual performance. The decision distinguishes steps to secure the agreed performance from a substitute bargain, with practical importance for commercial contracts affected by sanctions or other disruption. Judgment by Lord Hamblen and Lord Burrows.
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