Section 3: Capacity to buy and sell.

Sale of Goods Act 1979 · 1979 c.54

Part II: Formation of the Contract

3(1)

Capacity to buy and sell is regulated by the general law concerning capacity to contract and to transfer and acquire property.

3(2)

Where necessaries are sold and delivered to a minor or to a person who by reason of mental incapacity or drunkenness is incompetent to contract, he must pay a reasonable price for them.

3(3)

In subsection (2) above "necessaries" means goods suitable to the condition in life of the minor or other person concerned and to his actual requirements at the time of the sale and delivery.

About this text

This legislation text comes from legislation.gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Reuse reviewed 21 August 2026 under Open Government Licence v3.0.