Taylor v Johnson

The High Court of Australia considered the appeal in *Taylor v Johnson*. The dispute concerned the enforceability of a contract for the sale of land, specifically whether the respondent, Ms. Johnson, was bound by the terms of a written contract despite her alleged misunderstanding of a crucial detail. The appellant, Mr. Taylor, sought to enforce the contract.

The central legal issue before the Court was whether a party to a written contract for the sale of land can escape liability on the ground that they were mistaken as to the terms of the contract, particularly where the other party was unaware of the mistake and the contract was not vitiated by fraud or misrepresentation. The Court had to determine the circumstances under which equity would grant relief from a contract due to a unilateral mistake.

The Court held that a party will be bound by a written contract, even if they have made a unilateral mistake about its terms, unless the other party knew or ought reasonably to have known of the mistake and took advantage of it. In this instance, the Court found that Ms. Johnson had made a unilateral mistake regarding the area of land she was selling, believing it to be 5 acres when it was in fact 10 acres. However, there was no evidence that Mr. Taylor knew or suspected this mistake. Accordingly, the Court concluded that the contract was not voidable in equity, as Mr. Taylor had not acted unconscionably. The appeal was allowed.