Harris v. Watson – Case Brief
Harris v. Watson King’s Bench 1791.
Facts: Watson (D) was the commander and owner of a ship on which Harris (P) served. While at sea the ship was in danger and P demanded extra wages in exchange for the extra work required of him.
Issue: Was the reformation of the contract enforceable?
Holding: No. The reformation of the contract to provide extra wages in exchange for extra work under exigent circumstances was not enforceable for public policy reasons. If such an agreement were enforceable it would enable sailors to act opportunistically while at sea.
This case is not an example of a reformation of contract being held invalid for lack of consideration. This case is an example of adopting a mandatory rule to refuse to recognize reformation of contract under exigent circumstances in order to prevent the other party from acting opportunistically.